Civil War Letter to Mary Jane [Versey] Leas from John Wesley Hardin - May 26, 1862

This letter was printed in "A Hardin Family History" and was written by John Wesley Hardin and sent to his cousin Versey Leas. John was the son of (William Hardin and) Prudence Walker, who was a sister to Francis Samuel Walker. Versey, actually Mary Jane Leas, is the daughter of Jane Walker [Leas], another sister of Prudence and Francis Samuel's. This missive was written a year after his earlier letter to Leander Walker which is here. This is only the text of the letter as there were no images of the actual writing. Before the war ended, on March 29, 1864, while fighting in Arkansas, John W. Hardin was struck with a bullet and blinded in one eye, which was by necessity replaced with a glass eye. Not much is known of him after the Civil War but he is buried in New London, Iowa, in Ferrel Cemetery, next to his parents.

Monday May 26th, 1862
Butler Bates Co. Mo.

Dear Cousin:
I take the present opportunity of answering your last letter which I received some time ago. It also found me enjoying good health which is a great blessing for a soldier. The most of our boys is well. Robert Baxter is wounded. He is getting well very fast for a man that was shot as bad as he was. He received 6 shots, two in his face, one in his ear, two in his back and one in his arm. There is one bullet in his back yet but I don't think it will hurt him much. But am in hopes that I will never be in that fix, but a person cannot tell what will happen. We are in danger all the time. They surprise our pickets sometimes but our pickets has always seen them in time to stop them, so far. We have got a good many prisoners here. I have no doubt but some of them deserves to be shot, but it is pretty hard to tell who it is. I have not heard from James since I saw him at Benton Barracks. I heard at one time that they was at Rolla but they are not there now. I presume he is somewhere a makin the Secesh get up and clime. Well that is all right don't you think so Versey.

Whither you or me likes it or not it is the case they haft to get up and dust at the present time or be captured, one of the six. Well Versey, in reference to that young man that you said looked so sweet, I presume he is a nice little fellow in one respect and in another respect I presume he is very nasty, at least I always thought so. But you may differ from me in that respect. Well Versey, there is one thing I must tell you, that is I got a new hat & two new shirts. Well, this is not a very interesting letter. I have wrote in a hurry but I must quit for this time. I send my love too all inquiring friends.

J. W. Hardin to Versey Lee

Next:

A Letter from John Wesley Hardin to Francis S. and Catherine Walker, March 1st, 1863 (p.1)

Index:

The Walkers - Paperwork

Analysis:

Who's Who/What's What in John Wesley Hardin's 1862 Letter

Related information:

John Wesley Hardin

Mary Jane ("Versey") [Leas/Rodgers] Lee

Civil War Letter to Leander Walker from John Wesley Hardin

Photographs:

John Wesley Hardin