The Mississippi in the Civil War Message Board

P.P. Perkins, 9th Miss. Inf. letter

This is a transcript of a letter written by P. Pryor Perkins of the Ninth Mississippi Infantry in 1861. The letter is written on lined paper with a smoking cannon and flag accompanied by a short patriotic poem and headed

C S Army

COLUMBUS, KY
all in red ink.
While the content is mostly personal I felt that it may be of some interest to some in this forum.

October 9th, 1861

My Dear Cousin:

What upon the face of the earth is the reason you have not answered my
letter? I know it has been more than two months since I wrote to you. What
can the matter be? Have I done anything to offend you? Or am I such a small
character that you have concluded not to notice me any longer? If such is
not the case do write & solve the mystery. I know you have long since learn-
ed that I had enlisted in the confederate states service. I have been traveling
over the states Misouri & Kentucky for the last two months and have had but
little opportunity to write to anyone. Now I think I am settled for the winter, and
I hope we will be regular correspondents. What say you? I think our little In-
fant Republic will soon be recognized & then peace will be the result. Probably
you would like to know my reasons for thinking this. A hundred thousand sol-
diers have crossed the Potomac again, with the same view they had before,
viz: of "wiping Virginia & her inhabitants from the face of the earth", there are
fifteen thousand soldiers at Paducah, Ky and they daily concentrating more.
We will " wipe out" these two armies and this will end the war. Is it not strange
what a change can take place in a few months. Since I last saw you, we have
had the mortification & deep sorrow to loose our beloved Mother. This has
cast a gloom over our dear Father & the change is indescribable. Of course
you can form no idea how one feels on loosing their best & dearest friend, as
you have never had the experience. It seems that my happy days are ended,
that a gloom has been cast over my future expectations: and my only hope
now is, that I may again meet her beyond the grave.
Well, Cousin, as we are about to have dress parade, I must stop. Please an-
swer this short letter very soon, and I will try to write you a longer letter. Give
my love to all.

Your Affectionate Cousin

P. Pryor Perkins
P.S.

Dirrect to this place in care of Capt. Nesbit, of Col. Blythe's Miss Batalion.

P.P.P.