I have just received a copy of a 4 page letter that was written by Calvin Harris to his cousin. It was written August 29, 1861 at Camp Lyon while he was serving with the 5th Arkansas Infantry with General Hardee. From the letter it appears that they were located somewhere between Pittman Ferry and Ironton, MO. As far as I know the letter has been in the possession of the family and has never been transcribed or published. I have transcribed it the best that I can and is presented below. Calvin Harris enlisted June 10th at Wittsburg, AR as a private in Co. F (Harrisburg Riflemen) He was appointed 2nd Sgt. Dec 1, 1862 and was killed in the battle of Chicamauga Sept 19, 1863. The owner of the letter lives in Northwest Arkansas and has asked me to help him find someone to preserve it and a suitable home. He believes they also have a tintype of the letter writer as well. Not being familiar with the procedure especially in Arkansas, I have turned to this board for advice.

Camp Lyon August 29th 1861

William C. Harris
Dear Cousin

I received your letter through the politeness of Jas Rooks it gives me considerable satisfaction to hear that all was well, though I am sorry to hear that you have quit going to see our girl, Times looks very squirrely up here now William? the soldiers are coming back here by hold Regiments we will have to fight if we stay here I expect before this letter reaches you the abolitionist troops are in twenty miles of us and advancing Gen Hardees troops are all here together and ready to fight if Hardee will let them stay here though it is thought that he will retreat back to Pitmans Ferry in order to get them away from Ironton,, as far as possible in order to whip them if we can & if they whip us it will not be our fault no never they are about six thousand soldiers here at this point now & as ______looking fellows as I ever saw we have eleven prisoners here that we caught up a Greenville, Missouri we have two of those New York Zouaves red briches & jackets fellows So if you would come up here you could get a peep at them. They are right savage looking fellows as shure as you are borne I love to look at them & wish you were here to see them Willie
as the hour is getting late
so goodbye Willie
Tell Millie I will give you a few ideas of camp life a hard life to live it is though I am willing to stand it twelve months any how before I see home again and if I never get back home again and am killed in the army I think am in a just cause So you must tend to the gals until I get back. I suppose Gen Hardee will move us toward Pitmans Ferry tomorrow morning Is in a big retreat I recond he nows the best what to do but I am afraid he is mistake in but I not his ideas is to take them away from Ironton he says whether they will tell or not I cant say but I think its doubtful We have Pray Meeting here ever once and a while Rev Eli Hindman was with us a few night ago & had a fine meeting our boys are improving very fast in the drill we have two good drill masters Adj & Mc_____ & Leutenant Murray he is a West Pointer & in fact all of us is pretty good drill mostly Capt Smith has taken command of his old Company again & the boys are all well satisfied with him I believe I suspose I had give you some more war news I see a full account of McCollock fight in the journal & I suspose you have seen the _____ It is reported here that there is about Sixty Thousand Lincoln troops at Ironton to fight against us.
We had the pleasure of meeting our old friend Cal Ball in Camp Ironton we welcome the old gentlemen in camp with pleasure and also our friend ________ they will leave tomorrow for Harrisburg we will have to bid them farewell for a while & to some probably never to meet again this side of eternity we are expecting to hear that Gen Pillow has achieved a great victory every day although probably you will hear from him before I will. I have wrote about all the war news I have I believe if anymore comes to my ears before I get through this letter I will let you have it Willie. You said something about my regiment it was about to organize it has all fallen through with once I have left that place a long ways behind though I would like to have gotten it up before now to have them ready for fighting tell Caldwell to come up to see us the first opportunity for I would like to see himself here in camp to see how he would look Tell uncle Jno Harris that we are all trying to get to be generals as hard as you ever saw boys work for anything I would not be surprised if some of us would not make better Generals than old Samuel Hardee is now So turn over and read
Give Aunt Mary My Most Sincere and best respects & tell her that the money that she gave to me helped me out mightly tell her that I shall never forget her as long as I live also give your Ma my best respects & tell her that am indebted to her Uncle Berry and Aunt Mary for all I am was then and what I am now - I am also mutch obliged to you for your kindness for sending me those envelopes & paper I shall try and write you a letter every chance I get to send one to you & hope that you will write every chance you get to send me a letter tell Skiller that I sent his saddle by Jno Allen to him he will go up to town and git it and my bridle, I have got another horse to ride from Col Cross, he has three & I can ride one of them, Give my respects to you pa Family & uncle Johns & Jno Englands & Issac & _____ & Dick Joe & alls of the black boys & to all inquiring friends and to my Sweet Shug I would like to see him right well Give my respects to Cousin James and Jno ___ & old man Henry to if you see him,, the health of the Regiment is very good & in fact all of the brigade is very healthy the Soldiers don’t h___ ch___ once in a boat over a small river that is not too deep the Soldiers wadded right through So write soon I remain yours until death

Calvin H Harris
Thanks,
Dan Hill