Fort Macon N.C.
Sept 1864
Very Dear Mother & Sisters==
through the mercy of the Lord”that God
grate and mighty Showing mercy to those
who fear him) I am yet Upaired in very good
health and strength, and permited the; pl=
aisure of writing to you once more. I hope
these lines will find you all well in health,
with Enough to eate; and surounded by the
mercy; and tender care of our Heavinly Father
The other day I received a short letter from
Sister Lois, which give me much [ease?] and cum
fort to hear that you had not suferd for
any thing materially; I thank the blassed
God of Heaven and Earth that he has
thus blessed you. In the Lord, and by the
Lord; we have. and receive all blessings
needful. from him we receive food for our
fleshly bodies, and food for our Spiritual
bodies. Bless be the Lord God Almighty-
for His Grate and Mighty pour and His
mercy and loving kindeness for everand ever Amen
[page 2]
Page 2
The letter that you wrote to Brother, I
have not seen yet; but hope to ere I finish
this. .I have writen severl letters to Send
to you, but could not get them off; the
last got as far as new Berne but no farther
for the reason that he feared could not
Get out side the lines. But I trust if it
be the will of the Lord you will get this.
so that you may Know that I have
not forgot you yet; Now if the Lord
will I will give you a little history of my
life, since I lift little Washington first
I stoped at New Berne, about six weeks
with Capt Wheeler; (acting asistant
Quarter Master United States army)
on the acount of he, having to turn over
all his Q.M.Stones; and having as such
nothing for me to do and at the same time
I being ordered to report to my Regiment
for duty. As such I had to leave him,
which was more agreeable to me; then to
him for he sed to me that if he had any
excuse at at he would not let me go to
[page 3]
Page 3
My Regiment. Although I was geting
in bad health. yet I was sory to leave
him, for one reaison that he was so Kinde
and good to me, for a nother what he told
me I coul depend upone as such when he
instru cted me in any thing that he wanted
done; I could go ahead and do it, Knowing
that he would give me due Credit for all
that I done right. Afew days before ileft
him.he told me that he was sory to part
from me, and if he could form any excuse
that he would ceap me; but he could not as
such I had to leave him. But before I
left him, he highly complimented me
for honesty faithfulness & Steady ness he
sed I had surved him as a faithful man.
Well I took the train for Moorhead City,
there I found my Company at fort
Hecman, there I Comenced Soldiering again
And stoped there a few weeks.until I was
Ordered to For Macon, to report to Quarter
Master Springers Regimental Quarter Master
1st N.C. Vols & a. a. Q.M. U. S. Army
[page 4]
Page 4
My situation here is one that
suits me quite well, here I am in
charge of two Shops; one a Carpenter
Shop the other a Blacksmith Shop.
you may see at once why it,s so agreeable
to me, because it is something like old
home; that plaice ,which I desire once
more to see. Once more to enjoy it with.
the companions of my youth, “O” you cannot
think my Dear Mother & Sisterts; what grate
joy it would be to me to meet you all
and embrace you in my arms not as our pa=
rting embrace was which caused us to shed
tears of greef. But how the tears of joy.
I often am agive that I see you engaged in
your dayly toil; about the old plantation.
“O” may the Lord in His tender Mercy grant
us all, once more to meet-and live not onley
as Brothers, Mother and Sisers in the flesh,
but as Mother Brothers & Sister in Jesus Christ
our Lord and Saviour. Not desirring to live
to our selves but to the Honour Glory & prais of God
[page 5]
Page 5
Thorugh the tender mercy of the
Lord dear, Brother has Improoved in
health. Very much: for the last three or
four months. He is quite well now. with
exception of those pains in his hip, which
I hope; through the Mercy of God
he will yet get clair of. Dear Mother,
you aught to see us two now; to see the
change since we left home; through the
grate in tender Mercy of the Lord
yes onley through his will. Thare is a grate
difference then an now, (I hope for the beter
If you could see some of our letters, which
we pass. to each other; then you could
justify what I am writing. Hee come to
see me the other day. and stoped with me
all night; we talked about you all; home
& Etc. But when the hour for sleep I took
the Holy Bible and red a chapter then
knelt down and offerd our humble but
unworthy thanks to god God for his kinde
providance and grate mercy which he
has showed to us to you and to Many
[page 6]
Page 6
Others Every way and where. also aski=
ng the pardon and forgiveness of all our
Sins, and that we might be made pure
and clean in the precious Blood of
Jesus.For pure and clean hearts EtcEtc
It is a pleasant duty alone to myself
when non but God is near rendered very
much so when alone with my dear
Brotehr whome I Love as my dearest
earthly friend here.
I hope dear Motehr that the Lord will
continue his Blessings to you and provide
ways and means that you may be enabled
to, live, if possible we wil try and Send
you some Salt the trouble is that we
never see any chance to send you any
thing for we never see any one that we
might send by if Either of us were at
Beaufort we could send things to
you but that is the trouble we are not
there. But be you assured we will do
our best in trying to get you some Salt.
if we could now whin Mr Paul would be at
[page 7]
Page 7
Beaufort we could get a pass and meet
him there and send you some things
such as we could get a permit for him
to cary out the lines so we will try
and do some thing for you if possible
Dear Mother, & Sisters, pleais remember
my Love to all my friends boath young and
olde Tell little Winie that I hope she will
do Smart and be a good wise little Girl
I live in hope that the Lord will in his
tender Mercy grant us all one more
to meet and live in the enjoyment of
each others society and in the fear and
Love of God. Very Dear Mother. &
Very Dear Sisters. Be you assured that
You are the objects of My (With my Borther)
Best affections and fondest and best
desiers.for So nature Seems to binde.
Be you assured also that you rememberd
in My Prayers to my God unto whose
Name be all Honour Glory and
Prais given now and forever amen
for of his tender mercy we live from hour to hour
from day to day from year to year
[page 8]
Page 8
I am not maried yet and May never be
yet I might do wors things. for I see that
St Paul ses that is is beter for a man to
marry to prevent other things which by
God is forbiden as grate Sins. But in
this respect I feel consined to the will
of the Lord hoping that if He has desi=
ned me a companion that she will be
an agreeable one.one in whom dweleth
the love and fear of the Lord one whose
God is not a fine dress or outward orn=
aments such as Jewels Etc.Etc. But one
whose ornaments are truith Virtue
Meakness & Christen lovliniss. But not
my will but the Lords be done. I merly
say this to let you know my opinion
and to ceape you from being uneaisy
Con cerning me in Such Maters if there
was nothing else. My love for you My Dear
Mother is as Such that I could not if
possible go against your will in such
a case. I am perswaided that you all=
ready believe this of your Dear Boy
[page 9]
Page 9
So I will end the subject of Page 8.
Please remember my love to old Gran
mother and her familey all round to all
her children & gran children tell them
I hope to see them again if the Lord
will remember My love to Old Mrs
Campbell Mrs Latham and familey
Mrs Oden and familey Etc Etc
Remembering first to reserve to your=
Selves my Dearest and fondest desires.
Be so Kinde Dear Mother as to Give
My love to uncle Arnet Waters tell I
would like to see him for I hav many
thing swhich I would like to tell
him things which I have felt and seen
sence it was Gods will to awaken Me to My
awful condition as a siner. I have not
heard anything form Old Brother
John Habourn Since he left Newbern
I supose him to be in Philadelphia
I call him Brother in the Lord for I believe
[page 10]
Page 10
Him to be a childe of Grace.
after he moved to Washinton and
learned of the mercy of the Lord to
me he proclaimed Brotherhood
and give me his hand of feloship
(for my Confession of faith in my
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ)
which was of grate comfort to me
for which let me thank God from
whome all blessings flow yes may
the remainder of my days be
spent to the Honour Glory and Prais
of the name of the Lord. yes may
we serve him as we aught while in
this world and in the world to come
meet Him in Glory there to Prais
him for Ever & Ever in a world without
End Amen & Amen.
So I must close by sucribing
Myself your affectionate Son &
Brother untel death
Jesse Harrison
[page 11]
Page 11th
Fort Macon N.C.
Oct OCT 6th /64
Dear Mother
As I have a very
good opertunity to send you a letter
by my old Friend Mr Wallis who
is now here and is going to pass by
old home so I will send you my old
letter of Sept with a few lines more
to inform you that I am qute well
yet. I heard from Brother to day
and heard that he is quite well
excepting those pains which he feels
at times yet. Dear Mother I wish it
was so that I could send you some salt
I will try to do so if Mr Wallis has
any conveyance from where, he lands
to home.
I hope my Dear Mother &, Sisters
that these lines will finde you all well
living in the love and fear of that God
[who?] has so wonderfully blessed us all
from our Intfantsy up to this moment
[page 12]
Page 12th
I hope that the Lord will bless me with the sweet
privalidge of your society again. “O” the joy it wou=
ld give me to meet you all and inplant upon
your sweet lips the kisses of a long abstant Son
and Brother. But let us e content at our
lot hoping that and knowing that our
Reparation will work for our good if we
rightly improove it. Affliction though
they seem severl in Mercy oft are Sent they
show us our sinfulness our blindeness our naked=
ness and our inibility to do any thing good of
our selves. May the saving Grace of our asended
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ through God
the Father rest upon us with all the true
[Isreal?] of God now hensforth and for ever Amen
P.S.if I cannot send you any salt this
time and you can learn of any one coming
to Beaufort get them to come over to the Fort
so that I amy Know of the chance and embrace
it. Dear Sisters try when you write to me again
to write a little longer. tell me all that you think I
would like to hear. May the Blessed God of all
Glory continue to bless you in my prayer for Christ sake amen