William Campbell married Jannette Roane Ritchie Latane on December 3, 1867.
7. Florence and Marion Campbell were born July 3, 1858.
8. Uncle Benjamin Herndon Campbell of Galena, Illinois was the President of the Minnesota Packet Company.
9. Emigration refers to the recruitment of persons to Iowa to start a new life, where land was cheap, and work available. Iowa entered statehood on December 8, 1846.
Following Pages: The following pages bear a further explanation concerning the mare Lucy Long in a letter from Robert E. Lee to his son William Henry Fitzhugh Lee.
The Civil War Letters of James Harvey Campbell
a collection of thirty-one civil war letters
In this letter we find William Campbell ready to join James L. Clark (of St. Louis, Missouri) in opening a store near Denver, Colorado, and mentions his new nieces Florence and Marion Campbell.
At the outbreak of the Civil War, William Campbell volunteered into the army of Major General Sterling Price as an attempt to return to Virginia, and participated in the battle of Wilson’s Creek. In 1862, James enlisted into the 9th Virginia Cavalry.
McGregor, Aug. 2nd, 1858
Dear Brother,
Your letter of the 6th was handed me this morning it having been here these two weeks I having been away did not know it during that time, consequently you will not think hard of what could not be avoided. Your excuses for not answering my last letter sooner were entirely satisfactory. I hope in this sister Fanny has entirely recovered from her sickness and the ones progressing finely. It was quite a surprise I can assure you to hear that you were the father of two little girls7. You say the doctor proposes that you call them No. 1 and No. 2. It seems to me it would be hard to decide which was No. 1 and which No. 2 as it would be to call them names, but I presume in this you have named them to your own satisfaction so I will reserve all of my names for future generations. You advise that I should not go into business until I have considered the subject well and then I shall not do so without the entire consent of both my uncles and other warm friends whom I have made since being in this country. Both of our uncles8 as you are aware are experienced business men and doubtless can give me some good advice. The gentleman with whom I spoke of going into business is one who is well known in the whole western country and is known to be one of everybody with whom I have heard speak of do so to his credit. Both of my uncles have the utmost confidence in him having had him in their employ for a good many years. Suffice it to say although I always look upon the bright-side of everything, I shall give this subject due consideration. I shall not take the step until I am thoroughly convinced it will be to my interest. Farmers are just beginning to reap their wheat crops which they say is almost an entire failure owing to the immense quantity of rain which they have had tho oat and potato too is very unpromising from all that I can learn the potatoes especially as they are rolling very rapidly not more than a half crop of any kind is expected. There is considerable excitement up here just now about great Prep are being made for emigration9 next spring as it is thought too late to start this fall. You must remember me to sister Fanny and the little ones and remember me as ever
Your fond brother
Willie
I shall be pleased if you will send now and then when you find anything of interest in some of your Richmond papers one of them as any thing from Old Virginia gives me pleasure.
Yours
Willie