Manassas Junction V. a August 8th 1861
sunday Nancy I will write you
another this eavning which will inform
you how I am getin a long I am well and
harty as much so as I hav been cence I
left home I am thankful to for helth
is the main thing here if I can keep
my helth that is all I need and the help
of providece if I can hav thes things to help
me I can com it fustrate Nancy I wish I
could hav been at Bethlehem at the protracted
meetin as I lern there is or has been one
there this summer or fall but circumstan
ces would not admit but my heart was
thee and is very often it dos seem to me
if I had a been there that I could iv
engoid my self beter than I ever
did for I hav been deprived of such
priveliges ever cenc I was at home the
last time I had rather hear Gannon
preach than to hav a thousand dollars
for I think it would do me more
good becos I naturely love to hear him
preach for he is the best preacher I ever
herd I want you to write to me as soon
as you can and what sort of a meetin they
had at Bethlehem and when it broke
up and how long it lasted and when
the big meetin commences at Smith grove [1]
for I feel interested in that to as well
as Bethlehem I wish you a good metin
for it is needed there not there only
but evry wher els for it is for the
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lack of good meetins and good people
the reason this trouble is com a pon the
land now in order to make times
beter the people must do beter for
the beter the people are the sooner
this calamity will close So I hope
that you all will do all in your
power to stop it and if every body will
do so it will stop my ernest prar is
that it ma stop and that shortly not
that I am sufering but becos ther are
so meny others a sufering on the
acount of it I am sory to say but
will hav to say I hav seen one of
our company deposited in the grav
it was Henry Hall he was taken
down with the tifoid feaver a few
weeks a go and died the sixt of this
month he was taken good car of
whilst sick and was buryed acor
din to miletary orders that is the
only death that has been in our
company there are som sickness
in this company but not very much
not a nough for you to get uneasy
nor I dont think there will bee
Frank Smith is a litle porly yet
and has been ever cenc he had the
measels this is a nough concerning
camp affairs I would like to see
you all a gain which I think I shal
before many months bee in good
spirits for there is a beter day a
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comin and I dont think it is very
far off I think the will soon com
when I can visit your cabin a gain
and if it dos I shal bee cirtin to vis
it it of poseable and I dont know of
any thing to prevent it Nancy tell all
the gals that I am coming to see them
a gain before long tel them to take
good car of there selves and not mary
to soon for they dont know but
what there husbens would hav to
go to the war tel them all to
fix up there tricks and hav a
big to do when we get back
tel all the old folkes to not let
all there galls mary before we get
back for we wil want a wife to
I know I shal if I can get one I
think I can stand as good chanc as the
balence giv my respects to all and
tel them I am well and doing well
the them all to write if they wish
and if not they needent to but I had
much rather they would you must
write any how direct your leters to the
same place as you hav her to fore to
H. H. Hanes Manassas junction Virginia
Car of Capt Kelly 4 Regiment. N. C. stat. troops
I hav got al the leter you hav rote me
up to this date I know nothing a bout
the war nor I dont bother much a bout
it I expect to do the best I can and
all I can I would like write this other
[page4]
page but I dont know whether I can
or not for I hav writen a bout all I
know or all that will interest you
probely tel Jim he must have a corn
shucken and hav a parsel a girls there
for I know all the boys a round a
bout there want him to so they can
get to see them for that is the only
chance they wil get to be with them
for the girls wont let the cowardly
fellows go to see them if they do
they had beter not for if they coms
a draft the las one of them will run
a way and they will be left a lone
untel we get back tel Miss
Mary Ward the chance is ver good
for her to get a northeren man
if she will go to richmon she said
she wanted one or could get one
when I was there and now I think
k the chace is very good if any of
the rest of the women wants yankey
tel them to write to me and they
shal hav one So I think I had beter
hush that before I make sombody mad
Jim rady is well and wont to com
home as bad as I do a portion of this
to Jimey and the balence to you
I will write as often as I can handy
and you must do the same yours
truly untel death Harrison Hanes
to Nancy Williams and Jimey Williams
a portion Sunday August 8th 1861