Scott County, Illinois
August 31, 1863

Dear Bro & Sister

The last mail brought us your letter of the 12 of July which informed us of your welfare which we were glad to hear. We are permitted again to inform you that we are yet in the enjoyment of our usual health. If I remember right, in my last letter I informed you of the illlings of Aunt Riggs. Beyond all human calculation she has recovered, so as to be able to ride around in a buggy, but is very feeble. Green Campbell is yet living, but is very low and almost no hopes of his recovery. Milton Riggs second daughter has been confined to her bed about ten weeks with some disease of the throat and lungs, she is very low and I think will hardly recover. The other relatives in this vicinity are well so far as I know.

Benton Black's wife died a short time since she had poor health for some months but died very unexpectedly. She left two children. Sister Polly Black is keeping house for him. Mrs. Adkesson has the youngest child.

I received a letter a few days ago from cousin Hanna B Wilkes. She is in Springfield Mo. Aunt Sally is yet alive and was with her when she wrote. She says that Berry, Walker, Lemuel Jones and her husband are in the South. That Ned, Jonathan and Sam are Union men. One of her sons was killed in the rebel army at Pea-ridge. That William had not been home since Feb. one year ago, that all her houses have been burned, and all her property destroyed, that her land was confiscated and would be sold at the next term of court in Green County. Says she supports herself by sewing and cooking. Says she has nine children, and that all but one of her sons are in the Southern Army. Does not say how many sons she has.

We have peacable times here so far, but the prospect of it's continuance is rather gloomy. In some parts of this state companys are organized and drill weekly, and say they will resist the conscription law. There is no doubt that there are secret organizations in this county with some object in view and civil war is liable to be inaugurated any day. There is a bad state of feeling existing amongst many members of the different political parties and it will require a great deal of prudence and forbearance on all sides to prevent outbreak, which if once begun there is no telling when or where it will end. My opinion is that there will be no draft in this state at present.

We have had a remarkable season, there was almost no rain from the first of April to the 24th of July and was unusually cool. Since then there has been good rain and some very warm days, but last week was quite cool, and yesterday morning there was the severest frost I have ever seen in August. Sweet potato tops are as black as my ink, wheat crops generally good, crop of hay short, corn crop will be the same. Fruits of all kinds abundant. The prices of produce about as when I last wrote you.

We remain affectionately
JB & CB Campbell

This letter, written by Cynthia Beard Campbell and her husband, John Berry Campbell, to my Great Grandparents (James Givens & Elizabeth Amanda Black Campbell) was copied in 1941 from the original letter in the possession of my fathers first cousin and a Campbell descendant, Verda Burnett Fredericks. It was copied by my aunt, Leta Denny Emery and she sent it to me in 1975. Leta Denny Christiansen