Mitchell County N.C [June 6, 1863]

Govenor Vance Dear Sir
having a Leisure moment I
take my pen in hand to Let you
hear from an old friend. and also
to give you Small Sketch of
Matters and things in our County
and in the first place I can say
that I and family are well.
and in the second place that we
have troubles of Various kinds a
mong us in Consequence of this
Horrible War our patriotic Citizens
Volunteered untill our country
was almost Depopulated and then
the 35 Conscript was Run and
the men all went like good
soldiers and Now a Second Conscript
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is Being Run and it does look
like if they have to go that their
families will not only suffer But
Starve for if they have to go famine is
Inevitable therefore if you can
Interceede for us and keep them
at home untill the present crop
is made and harvested it will be
a great favour and mercy to
the citizens of the County we have
no Slaves in this county to Labour
for us as a generally thing the men
that has Slaves is all at home while
the poor men whose families are
entirely dependent on their Labours
for Support has had to leave
their little farms and families
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to the Mercy or Rather the
Cruelties of a Mercyless Set of
Speculators that is willing to
take the Very highest prices that
they can get and that from the
Soldiers wives: and in the third
place we have afew Run Mad
hot headed Secessionest that thinks every
Body Aught to be gone to the Wars
only them and they would have
you Believe that every Body is Dis
Loyal only them it is true a few
men of our County has Deserted the
army yet I know of no
men that is persuadeing them to
Desert yet to hear Some of them
Mad men talk every Body
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is harbouring Deserters But them
our Malitia officers has Been
Very Diligent to take up all men
that Deserts and I know of no
man that has Refused to obey
their orders when called on to
help them yet those men alluded to has
kept the county in an uproar
ever Sinc the war Begun
T.M. Sparks gives you his
Best wishes
Your Most obedient
Servant S. M Collis
June the 6th 1863