Arkansas True Democrat [Little Rock],
September 12, 1861
From the Van Buren Press.
Camp Frank Rector, Aug. 28, 1861.
Friend Dunham: We arrived at this place, about seven miles below Bentonville, on Sunday, and are here awaiting the arrival of Paymaster Duval and our discharges to be off for “Home, Sweet Home.” . . .
Many of the soldiers and officers are entirely destitute of clothing, hundreds being barefoot and clothes so torn and tattered as to scarcely cover their nakedness. These brave and patriotic men are perfectly content, if necessary, to go home without a cent of pay, but they will not be trifled with by the officers placed over them by that universally obnoxious Military Board. Brigadier General Napoleon Bonaparte Burrow made a narrow escape at our camp near Springfield, and a few days longer only will be necessary to place Paymaster General Ben. T. Duval in a delicate and precarious situation.
Col. Thos. C. Hindman will address us in a day or two upon the importance of remaining in the service, and allowing ourselves to be transferred, like so much live stock, to the service of the Confederate States. He will be very eloquent, no doubt, and appeal to every sentiment and feeling of our natures, but we all understand the nature of the case very well, and instead of getting a regiment, as he expects, to go away from our western frontier, and join Hardee’s force at Pittman’s Ford, he will do well if he gets a full company out of the four regiments. We intend going home, just now, and in the course of a month or two the most of us, no doubt, will be ready and anxious to go out again. . . .
Yours, in a hurry, Private.