August the 20 1861

Dear childrin I take my pen in hand to let you know
that we all well at presant hoping these lines may
find you and famly well and all my old frends I was
very mutch Surprised and badly disapounted that
I did not git to See you when you was at Jefeson
City the letter you rote to me I was at the office
whe it came on Tuesday Just at night I went
home and wensday got my mule Shod time enouf
to git to John Inglish is and at 11 oclock in the
night thare came 8 men with information that thare
had got off 500 of the flateheaded dutch[1] linconites
nothen robers to take horses muls and the best
what did I Say yes the best Sitisens of the cuntry
to take them up for apinion Sake only and
punish as the think proper well at 9 oclock next
morning on thirsday I found it was afalse alarm
I put out for Jefferson City in great hops that I
wold git to Jeferson city against[2] diner and when I
got to Judge Scotts and was very unwell and
the weather So extream hot thare you mite know
I had to Stop and inquire of the judge whether
and old grayheaded american of 59 years of age
or wold be aloud to goe in to Jefferson City if
he behavid him Self he told me it wold be Jest as the
the nothen lincon nits tuck anotion the most abomible
Set and the menist lousist Set on the earth to rule
[page 2]
yes to rule and to govern the the best men and wimen on
or in the united States to be governd and ruld buy the
flat headed dutch and the nothen yankis not the good
men anomen[3] cleanins of the Penitentrys porpors[4] and
theavs to rule the best men in the cuntry apurty
pass I got thare at diner then and thare I learnd
that the convention had adjornd Judge e[u?]in told
me that Som of the membors on the evin before
on wensday and the balance was agoing to leave that
morning he Said he Saw you on the evning of wensday
I was very mutch disipinted and it greavid me that
I did not git to See you Balsora[5] had rote you and
martha Jane and I rote a fiew lines to you I wold be very
glad to Seen you in deed the corn crop is as fine as i ever
Saw the wheat and oats hungarion timithy all good but
no market for nothing no money I Surpose with
out adout of all the batls that has bin faught in
Virginginia and at Springfield 4000 lincon trups kild
and 171 State troops kild gineral lyons[6] and Zeagle[7]
Sample orr[8] robed the Springfield bank of 24000 $
tho you have or will hear all about it we ar lising
evry day to hear of another heavy batle down
about Caro or Birds point and I expect we
will have aheavy fight at Jefferson city John
and morten is both going to Jacksons army Moten
Started this evning and John is now ficksin to
Start in the morning with Captin Poters compiney
to fite for the rites of missouri both of them was in
the fite in bunsvill[9]
[page 3]
I red aletter you rote to your mother you
Statid that you was aunon man[10] and So am
I that is we cold have any union but to talk
of aunion now and no constitusion is astrange
thing to me you Said you expected to fight under
the old Stars and Stripes of the united States
and you was in hopes that you had no relation
nor frend that wold follar the old trator Clabe
Jackson[11] but let me tell you I dont know of
arelation you had in this cuntry brothers cosens
and all the frends all Jackson men of the americans
Since the dutch came and Surounded the Babstis on
Sunday at our School house at Mr William
Moors all of them dutch all of the union men
Since that day in this neibhood is Clabe Jackson
men old and young is redy to fight for ther
rites under if we cant Secede on onerable terms
have with all the rest of the united States
we expect to fight for our rites we dont expect
to live under the dutch nor the yankys we
pur[12] fiting untell we die in prefance the north
nor the dutch dont cear for the negros tha
dont want them freed no you cant find one
dutchman to give one dollar if it wold free all
the negros in the united States tha wold rather
tha wor all dead tha wold be glad to have the
money for them did you know that the dutch
govner benstean had 2 negros Stold and hid in the
basement of the captil at Jefferson while he was there
[page 4]
I am told that he had two buck negros hid
he wanted the money for them two why Sir the
dutch Say and make ther brags that tha will
git the money for one negro if tha will whip
the South and have the land to but the hole
plan of the north is to rob and Steal of the South
if it is not what did the north take 32000 hand
cufs in to Virginia in the batle of venancis
guncion[13] for tha tuck them to hand cuf negros
after tha run the virginians of[f] from ritchmand
but tha got badly mistaken tha got agood drubin
and I jus when tha tri it tha will git whipt
again it will be som time before tha will make
abrige of old Virginia to goe to old north carolina
tha have got missouri at presant but I think
and hop but for ashort time nothing more at presant
rite me Soon as you Coleman Bruce to
git this William Jackson and
Martha Jane Jackson

give my best respects to all my old frends and
Show this letter to them and ask them what tha will
doe with a union and no constitusion I am a union
man if we can have justice reed this to Martha
and Shoe it to Philap Jonson and his farther and
Anderson Moor virginia John Bruce and 5
brothers in laws in the fight at venancis guncon
guncion in the old dominion C Bruce