Southern Confederacy [Atlanta, Ga], August 10, 1861
A lady friend in this city has favored us with the perusal of a letter written by her sister residing in Texas. We have read but few letters since this war commenced, from which we have derived such pleasure as this one, and we appreciate the privilege we have of making the following extract. Its pure and lofty patriotism, will find a hearty response in the breast of every lover of his country:
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“Phil was in Richmond when he last wrote, but where he is this Holy Sabbath day, (14th July) who can tell? Perhaps upon some field of battle! I feel sometimes that he is lost to me forever. I try to be resigned to the will of Heaven in all things.–If my country had claimed the sacrifice of my own life it would have been willingly given; but my boys were more to me than all else on earth–dearer, far dearer, than my own life. But they are gone–two of them–for Creed left me two days ago, at the Governor’s orders to go into camp, preparatory to his departure for the seat of war. He tried to reach home in time to go with Philip, but was prevented by sickness. I could have borne it better if they had gone together, but they will probably not meet during the war, and I may not see Creed again before he leaves Texas.
“Swan and John belong to a company, but they will not leave the State, as they expect to be sent to the coast, which is threatened by the Lincolnites; so you see this war will fall heavily on me, as I have so many sons. Patriotism prompts me to give them up to my country, but there is no joy in it. I feel as if the light will have gone out of my house forever when they leave it.
“I love the South–my old State (Georgia) most of all–and if it is to be blotted out from the face of the earth, as our enemies boast, I hope to perish with it; and before the day comes when such a race as the Lincolnites shall overrun and subdue the South, I hope the last Southern man on earth–my sons among them–may fall on the field of battle in deadly fight for their own, and their country’s honor. I had rather, a thousand times, see their heads laid low in the grave, than live to see them submit to the infidel North. If the men were willing to accept of peace on such terms, Southern women would drive them from their presence with scorn and contempt. My sons would never return to me after such servile submission, nor would I have them do so.
“This may seem to you unnatural, and so it is; but the North has driven us to this unnatural war, robbed me of my sons and brothers, and made for me days of weariness and nights of sorrow. They have gone to fight for their country–their rights and honor, and all that we held dear, and I have no wish for them to survive these.”