September 14th 1861
Camp Wells, Cherokee Nation
Twelve miles from Camp Walker
Dear Mother
I take the opportunity of writing you a few lines. I am well at this time and getting along as well as could be expected. I have not seen Wilk in about three weeks and I suppose his company have been discharged and they have all gone home. I have not time nor chance now to give you anything particular about the battle. But Mr. Crudgington will tell you all about it.
And I have written two letters to you since one I sent by Mr. King. And I will just say to you and Salina that I would be glad if you could make and send me some clothes if Mr. King is not bringing any. We have a bad chance to get clothing here. I had everything burned up except shirt and pants. If Benson will go to James Vaughan I think he will let you have stuff to make them out of. I will write to him about it now. I need coat and pants, two shirts made out of flannel or linsey, two pair of socks, pair of shoes and hat. And I want all the clothing of the coarsest, strongest kind.
I have not time to write more now. I will write soon again. If you send these things you had better send them in a carpet sack.
Your son with respect
Coke Witten
Salina I got your letter of August 4th the other day. Give my respects to Mr. Ward and family and all the friends.
Coke Witten
Camp Lee Missouri
September 24th 1861
Dear Mother, Brothers, Sisters & friends,
As Mr. Gray is going to Little Rock I take a minit to write you a few lines. I received your letters you all sent by Lieut. King and all the clothing you sent me and Wilk. I have not seen Wilk since a few days after the battle, but I suppose he has gone home, as the company that he was in ware all discharged. I shal keep his clothing with me here anyhow, for if I was to send them back it is uncertain about them getting there.
The clothes you sent came in the best time in the world, for I was geting verry nedy. Wilk, before he left, gave me a coat and shirt, or I should have been in a worse fix than what I was. But I now have the (illegible) plenty.
I wrote you a few days ago by Mr. Crudgington about some clothing, not knowing that you ware sending me any. James Vaughan also sent me some and I fear now that I have more than I can take care of and I feel that I can never repay you and Salina for the trouble that you have been at.
I do not no now whare we will go to from here. We expect to stay here about four or five weeks to recruit up the horses. My health is better now than it has been in a long time. Tell Uncle Alex and Newt (illegible) Hack is well & hearty and tell all the friends not to think hard of me for not writing to them all. I have a bad chance here to write. They can sit down and write to me at any time. But I must close. Give my respicts to all the friends and tell them to write to me.
Your son with respect,
Coke Witten
When you write to me just direct to
Coke Witten
Capt. Galloways Company
Churchills Regiment
Arkansas Mounted Riflemen
Camp Pickens Missouri
Oct 18th 1861
Dear Mother
I take the present opportunity of writing you a few lines by Mr. Ellis. I received you letter of the 2nd and also Wilk’s and I assure you that I was glad to hear from you. I am well and have been nearly all the time since I left home. My weight now is 156 lbs. That is as much as I ever weighed in my life. I got all the clothing you sent me and Wilk by Lieut King, also some from James Vaughan and I have plenty now. I wrote to you a few days after I got them and sent it by George Gray.
We are now camped five miles west of Carthage. Wilk knows whare that is. All the forces are gathering her and we will start on the 20th I suppose to march for Kansas Citty. The Kansas troops have been comeing in here for some time and plundering and burning the Missourians and then running off. And I think the calculation is to march through the State and make a clean sweap. There was some of the Texas troops a few days ago went into Kansas and found some troops at Humbolt and they run them off and burned the Town. Is that not the place whare Uncle Abbot is? I think it is and my notion is that they will all wish themselves in Arkansaw again.
It is useless for me to try to give you any account of the battle at Oak Hills as Wilk has told you all about it. We draw one month’s provisions and after this trip I think we will come back to Fourt Smith. Tell Uncle Alex that Hack is well and fat as a bear. Tell all the friends to write to me often. They can write any time. Wilk can tell you what kind of a chance we have here to write.
Your son with respect
Coke
Wilk, if you are still at home, I think you had better hold on a while until we come back from Kansas as it would not bee safe to travel through there to ketch up with the army. I wrote to you by Lieut. King. Did you get the letter? He is at home now. Write to me.
Your brother
Coke
Salina and all the rest, I want to see you very much but I somehow feel that I will get home safe. Write to me. Tell William and Jane to write to me. William and Martha and all the friends it does me a great deal of good to get a letter from any of my friends. Nothing more at present.
Your brother
Coke