War!  Word just came that South Carolina has attacked and captured a federal
fort at Charleston.  News is that the bombardment was so fierce that when
the yankees surrendered, what had been a three story rock fort wound up a
two story one.  I guess we're gonna have a shootin war now.

I wrote Maw and Paw askin them to come to Texas again and bring the younguns
where they'd be safe.  Paw got the preacher to write me back.  He said he
didn't figure the war would last too long and thought it'd be fought mostly
in Virginie any ways.  Brother Sidney has already up and joined the Army of
Georgia.  Paw said he's fifteen now and bigger than most men.  Paw said the
crops will be good again this year and with the war, cotton should bring
good prices from the English buyers.  He's lookin forward to a good crop.
Everyone else is fine, but of course Maw is worried about what will happen
to Sid and me.  I ain't as worried as her.  Texas is a long way from
Virginie, and we have a lot to do here takin care of our own.  I reckon
we'll guard the Sabine and Rio Grande rivers to keep any yankee gunboats
from comin up them.

The Volunteers got new uniforms today.  They are gray.  They're not as
pretty as the dress uniforms we got, but they're a lot toughter.  We all got
new shoes also.  Mine hurt my feet, but they'll be alright when they wear
in.  I don't wear shoes much anyway.  Wear boots when I work some, but most
of the time what God gave me works just fine unless there's snow or ice on
the ground.  the Captain says we got to wear shoes to drill in.  It's the
uniform.