James Henry Lauriston ("Lar") Hull

4th Sergeant, Company F., 10th Texas Cavalry, Confederate States Army
Enlisted October 1861 and Surrendered May 26, 1865

Civil War Letter Collection, Camp Van Dorn, AR - 1862

Transcribed by J. Brinkoeter

Camp Van Dorn Independence Co. Arkansas Mar 19th/1862 My Dear Parents, ... I am anxious to hear from Home. I haven’t heard from Home since Uncle Tom got back. I hope to hear you are all well. We have been at Jackson Port for several days on our own, hearing nothing & doing nothing. But yesterday we began to receive news, and it all came at once. We hear the Militia of ... has been ordered out. We learn Gen. McColloch ... Gen. Price slightly wounded in the arm. Gen. Van Dorn has fallen back from the enemy, under false fire of blank cartridges, 14 miles, then retreated to Van Buren & there he awaits this Regiment to reinforce him. We will start tomorrow for Van Buren, leaving all unnecessary cumbrances, as baggage, surplus, bed-clothes, trunks, and so forth. There are several of our Company sick at the Hospital and on the road. Our Company is not more than 30 or 40 strong. Our guns were left at Little Rock for repair and have not been received yet & it is the case with most all of the Companies. So we are in a bad condition for receiving an enemy. Our guns are here at Jackson Port -- I hear this morning we are 8 or 10 miles above on the river. I suppose we will get them up here today. The sickness most prevailing in camp is Measles. Mr. William King died of Measles, 3 or 4 days ago. One of our Company named ... is expected to die of Typhoid fever. William Watts, the young man that was down by the stove one day, going to San Augustine, is dead from T. fever. They are dying on every hand. I thank my God I am in good health. I suppose when we get to Van Buren we will soon get into a fight. We will travel 25 miles per day. I wrote to you while at Little Rock & know once since. I wrote to you about sending you $150.00. Since then I have received 15 dollars of G. F. Flemming’s debt -- 20 of ...Walker - 20 of Ritter’s. I don’t see much chance to send it ... by mail. Yes! I hear that the Militia has been ordered out from Texas!! So I suppose you will all have to go. It hurts my feelings to see or hear of you leaving your family, and house & concerns now at this state of life, after so much toil, & labor to get so far along. I had much rather go in two armies for 2 such Campaigns, yes 20 of them, than hear of you having to leave & go, but I suppose that if we don’t all go & fight for our families before the enemy gets into the land we must .. meet them, under every disadvantage and fight or die or be taken prisoners only to witness the very grossest of insults given to the defenseless women & innocent children. We have met with ill fortune for some time, yet I can’t think the God of Justice will permit an unmerciful, wicked, base people, employed in so unholy a cause, to prevail. L.

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Letter Index: J. H. L. Hull Civil War Letter Collection