The letter was type-copied for my Grandmother by someone unknown to me. It is on two pieces of onion skin type yellow paper, typed on one side only. One piece of paper is shorter up & down than the other where I have noted "cut off paper" My mother says that it had some reference to "death before dishonor" and that his wife should kill the little girls and herself before she let herself or them be dishonored by the invaders, and my Grandmother cut that part off because she didn't like it. I don't know if this is accurate or not, but as I remember my Grandmother, it is perfectly possible that she thought it not fit for a lady to read-

Courtney Eugenia (Barber ) Tompkins,
daughter of Martha Eugenia (Tucker) Barber, August 1998

Vicksburg, Miss.

May 10, 1862

My Dear Wife:

          Your affectionate and most welcome letter of the twenty-ninth was received day before yesterday. I had just written to you by Mr.Deaifonse, and for want of an opportunity had to postpone answering your dear letter until now. I have finished my day's task, and it is now nine o'clock. The bustle and noise of the camp is subsiding. Soon naught will be heard save the footfall of the sentinels and the occasional sound of All's Well. In this hour of quite I have sat down to talk to the one dearest to me on earth. I would rather that I could see you this evening, and hear the prattling of my dear Mary Eliza and sweet little Mattie, but this is not permitted me and I am content. Yes, my Dear, I am content. The exigencies of this time demand this sacrifice of me, and I willingly make it. Did I say willingly? Yes, cheerfully. While nothing on earth could give me so much pleasure as to be with you and our little ones, to live for you and them, yet I am ready now as when I left home to lay down my life for my country. We must and Shall have our rights and privileges although the enemy have New Orleans and the Mississippi, we should not and will not despair.

          Timid women and cowardly men may, but brave hearts never. So far as I can learn, the ladies are more patriotic than the men. There are many ladies in this vicinity, and I know there are such in and around Keatchie who would, with their own hands, touch the torch to their homes and furniture, rather than they should afford shelter and sustenance to the enemy so long as he remains an invader to our soil. Despair, why should we despair, or even despond ? Did not the English get possession of all the permanent cities of the colonies? Did they not occupy and blockade all the rivers and seaports ? Did they not send army after army of regulars, the best troops the world ever saw, to meet raw recruits military peasants, armed with shot guns and squirrel rifles, and many not armed at all, waiting for some to fall so they may use their guns ? And yet their armies were, with the help of God, destroyed by these bare-footed and ragged peasants, and our independence gained. And shall we be unworthy of our sires ? God forbid. We will not yield. I am satisfied that our ultimate sucess is certian, if the people of the south prove true to the cause they espoused. There have been some fears expressed that the gun-boats of the enemy would ascend the Red River. I think you need have no fears, my dear wife, of that. They cannot do it. If the farmers living on the river do their duty, the river can be blockaded with rafts very easily, so the boats can not pass up and even then, should it be possible for them to go up, and they do go, you need have no fear my dear, they will not go as far from the river as Keatchie. Should they reach your home, which I am sure they will not for a long time, I want you to teach Mary Eliza to tell any of them who may pollute my threshold with his presence, that her Pa is in the army for the killing of invaders, and he would do the same for them if he were at home.
(cut off part of paper)
I was delighted to hear from you and hear you were all well. I am glad to hear that the ladies of Keatchie are so patriotic as to undertake to have a gun-boat built. May God bless our country and the ladies especially. They deserve to be free. And if the men have the heart and the nerve they ought to have, which I believe they have, the ladies of the South shall be free. What will you do with your gun-boat now that the Yankees have possession of the mouth of the Old Red ? I can hear the ladies saying, If we can do nothing building boats, we can do something taking care of the home affairs, and our soldiers will soon be and even now are needing clothes. These we can prepare and send. The Baptist preacher you spoke of in your letter did tell Lent and asked him in the presence of the Major if he was married, he also asked him to come out and eat butter and drink buttermilk. And Lent has only to regret that he did not have time to go out and get it while he remained at Camp Moore. But he sent and got the milk and the eggs "to boot". I saw the daughters however on Sabbath at preaching in camp. Ask Rev May how he likes the girls. I am glad to hear of Sister Seagins. I am satisfied, yes it is a pleasure to me to know you have the venison.

          With reference to why and how Leon D. Marks was elected colonel of the Regiment, you have heard all the particulars from father and from my former letters.

          I am glad to hear Sam has ploughed Charlie and he worked gentle. I did not wish Crockett to do all the work. Your peas were early. I am proud to hear of your success in gardening.

          I received a letter from Brother Fuller a day or so since. He wrote he had recovered sufficiently to return to camp. He said John C. was well. He had tried, but had not succeeded, in getting an exchange from the Nineteenth to the Twenty-Seventh. He desired father and I to try to get him exchanged and I think perhaps when father returns we can get it arranged.

          As to how Col. Hodge demeaned himself on the field of Shiloh, I am not able to say, nor am I prepared to say how our colonel will act. You know my opinion of Col. Marks as a gentleman socially, and it is much the same of him in a military point of view. I have no objection to you taking Bessie G. or any other little girl you may see fit as boarders. I hope Miss Sallie is getting along well with her school. Tell Miss Sallie to write me how she likes "The Dixie Rebels Grand March." I would like to hear it played. If you have heard it, write me how you liked it.

          The health of our regiment is not very good. My health is as good as ever, and I do hope this will find you all at home well.

          We sent all the sick of our regiment who were able to go and who would not be able for duty in several day s, yesterday to Clinton which is on the railroad between here and Jackson. We have guards at all the bridges on the railroad for several miles out from this point. There is a detachment consisting of a lieutenant and twenty men on a signal boat down the river to announce the approach of the enemies gun-boats, as they are to make known the approach of the enemy by sending up sky rockets. We get telegrams from down the river constantly which informs us of the enemy's movements.

          A few days since he started up the river with fifteen boats, but halted before Natchez. Some of the boats have turned back, it appears, from that point and up to this morning there appears to be no further movement up the river. Then we heard of their approaching Natchez, all were on the watch.

          The troops that came yesterday were from Corinth.

          West sends "Howdy" to his mammy and all the servants, and to you and all the white family.

          Remember me to the servants.

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