Sept. 5, 1859

Still hot here.  Back home it would start to cool off a little by now.

Secession is all most folks talk about now.  There's a new fellow running
for president by the name of Lincoln.  Heared he's for free states.  Folks
here don't seem to like him very much.  He lost a race against Stephen
Douglas for senator in Illinois.  Hear he's a lawyer.  That's one thing
against him as far as I'm concerned.  A lawyer either is trying to take your
money or already has it!  I don't trust none of them fellows.  He's running
against the Democratic party with a new bunch calling themselves the
Republicans.  Folks here say if he wins and is elected, they'll leave the
Union for sure.

Found a piece of land not too far from here.  With the Colonel's help, I
paid down on it and part of each month's wages will go to payin it off.  I
have a new job now, I'm the overseer on the Colonel's cotton plantation.
This is the first time I ever had to be in charge of a bunch of slaves.  The
Colonel has 45 slaves working this land for me to oversee.  I don't see what
all the northern fuss is about.  These folks live about like I did back
home.  Each family has their own cabin to live in, work clothes to wear, and
food to eat.  They work six days a week and rest on Sundays.  Course, they
can't own anything or go when they want, but look how much better off they
are here then back in Afrika.  Livin in them mud huts and runnin around
naked and such.  The colonel even built them a church and has the Methodist
circuit preacher out when he comes by to marry them and preach once a month.
I have heared of owners abusin their slaves.  Can't see that, they cost too
much.  The Colonel minds to git him some more as soon as these is paid for
and he can borrow some more money.

Speakin of the Colonel.  He bought each man in the militia a uniform.
Colonel Prusser bein German, these uniforms is like those the Hessians wear.
Dark Grey with stripes on the legs and stuck up caps with plumes.  They're
real pretty, but we only wear them for parades and such.  Got us a few
rifled muskets now.  The Colonel managed to buy ten US .58 cal muskets and
twenty Limey Enfields.  The Enfields are .54 caliber.  He's also got us some
of the new minnie-balls.  The Enfields will shoot a .58 minie ball if you
size it a bit before you try to load it, but it's tight.  Bein the Colonel's
man and a 4th sergeant, I got one of the Enfields.  It sure shoots good,
even if the ball is a mite tight goin in.  I can hit a man sized target at
200 yards if I work at it!  Darned if we don't look military now.  We can
drill real good, and with the new muskets, we're startin to shoot good too.
Course, most of us southern boys know how to shoot already, so that aint
much.  By God, if them yankees want a fight, we'll sure be ready to give
them more than they wanted!