MONTGOMERY-HAMES
FAMILY LETTERS

The MONTGOMERY - HAMES FAMILY LETTERS were submitted and transcribed by Janice B. Eddleman
and copied from The Izard County Historian .

The following letters were written by members of the families of Thomas and Mahalia (Mauldin) Montgomery
and Thomas Henry and Annis (Robinson) Hames. These families were closely allied beginning in LTnion
County (Old 96 District), South Carolina. Later They moved to Maury County, Georgia and immigrated to
Arkansas Between 1857 and 1858. Some members of the families came as an advance party to "scout out
Arkansas " and the rest came as a large party later.

The letters have been transcribed exactly as written. Therefore, the spelling, grammar and puncuation do not
meet today's standards. In some instances parts of the letters are missing or are ilegible. Where that is the
case, blanks have been inserted.

State of Arkansas Conway County Nov 29th 1857

Dear Fathers and Mothers We now take the oppertunity of letting you know our whereabouts We have stopt in
Springfield Conway Co and has bought a house and three lots and give two hundred and seventy five dollars
We are all well and has stood the trip very well Dock and Quince has stopt a bout ten miles from heare Quince
has boght land has bought one hundred and sixty acers and give his wagon and steers Dock has not setled yet
as we know of I have lost one of my steers Buck he died with the murin Mel and Robert is agoing to work in
the shop blacksmithing is very high here Horseshoeing is one dollar and fifty cts and othEr things in
proportion and ther is no doubt but what we can get more work than we can do I think if we keep our helth we
will make money fast thare is plenty of cheap land heare up land is worth from 10 1/2 cts to one dollar per arc
bottom from four to five dollars per arc anyone can do better to look a round a while I am not able to tell you all
wether you could better yourselvs or not but I will tell you more about it after a while tell Jep not to give
Arkansas tar a bad name he might want to come back agane Whar we are is the heltist looking place I have
seen in Arkansas the people look helthy here tell Abb thare the out shootings people here for a fool I ever seen
I am about to sell my gun for twenty five dollars I got a dollar aday for house carpentering last week and I
think we will get our Shop in blast next week Robert says to tell Bob Wood to come on to burn coal Coal is
worth five to ten cts a bushel Corn is worth from 35 to 40 cts per bushel port 5 cts per lb Dec lth 1857 I will
take a new starte I sold Charley yesterday for 20 dollars a bad loss Abb I killed a turkey yesterday lots of
game heare but not time to hunt tell Keeler I want to heare him laff and I would like to see the Connections and
friends if Jim is started I want you to write to me as soon as you heare where he is Write as soon as this comes
to hand Write how Sick is and whare you are all Setled and ever thing else give my best respects to the
Conections and inquiring f riends and if you find anything you cant reed let it rip So nothing more at present
but remains youre sones and daughter un till deth ......(Hugh Porter Montgomery) H. P. Montgomery
(Montgomery to his parents Thomas and Mahalia Mongtomery March 3th, 1858 Montgomery County, Texas)

Dear brother and Sister I know take my pen in hand to let you no that I am well at presant hoping that these
few lines may find you all in the same. I have nothing of interest to rite to you at present Times is tolerable
hard in this part of the country. I expected that I shood have bin to seen you all Som time aGo but I cood not git
what money was coming to me. I do not no when I shal bee to See you all. I know think that I shal bee in
Georgia sum time this year. I am not doing much a presant of eny thing and has not bin for sum time. I have
made Good deal of Money sense I have bin in Texas and has spent it vary free i can make from $2.50 to five
dollars every day that I work. Stores of all kinds is ratid very high but very little selling. The credit system is
ruinin this country. I want you to rite to me as soon as you receive these few lines and give me all the news of
the country and let me no how all the connecttion is getting on fur as you know. So nothing more at presant.
Onley I remain your loving brother until death............ Wm Hames file you letter to. Montgomery, Montgomery
County I will try and rite alittle more the next leter. (William Hames, son of Thomas and Annis Hames, to his
brother Absolum and sister-in-law Julian who was the daughter of Thomas and Mahalia Montgomery.)

Springfield Conway Conty Ark. Mar 3lth 1858

Dear father and mother and all the connection and friends I now site down once more to drop you a few lines
We are all well at present and a doing very well but very much displeased with our old Georgia friends and
conection from the way you have all treeted us so fare as writing is concernd I wrote about twenty letters my
self and received Soerely none in return I watch dailey for the male and see it a coming and run to the oiffis
and like the mans goose nothing there I wand you to write often Mother I read yourse like print and I think
any boddy that has negroes could take time to answer all the letters I can write July you try it I can rede any
thing if you can't think vf nothing else put howdy in a letter and send it on tell the Balippes to write and
Daniels and the Blands and Sicks and all the rest it is true that my letters aint much interesting but I dv the
best I can I wrote to Jim and he wont answer my letters So I recon I disqust the people with my letters please
inform me if that is the case and I will stop Ab the turkeys is a gobling like thunder here I have got our same
old gun and Knife yet Dock has filling the turkeys with Pepper now vegitation is sprouting up smartly Cattle
can live fine in fact there is a great many winterd them selves where we have had a very wet Spring there is
some few comect planting corn our town is improving they have comect a very large Court house Dock is
working on houses and gets 1.50 cts per day Common hands can get fifteen dollars per month and borded the
price of Stock is low at this time negroes is very high one the size of Sicks Caroline will bring Six hundred
dollars I am very well sadisfied with Ark so Fare I want you to write whether you intend moving to this contry
next fall or not I believe from what I have seen and herd from this Country further north would suit you better
than here So I will have to come to close give Uncle Nathan and Aunt Sally my best respects and all the
Connection and friends Nothing more at present but remins youre Son until death.... H. P. Montgomery (Hugh
Porter Montgomery to his parents Thomas and Mahalia Montgonery)

 
Izard County, Ark June 6th 1858

Well, Ab, I have laze about all day and seen a hole gang of boys & girls a frisking about till I have got so
devlish that I shall have to let off the steam. We are all well fat and hearty as pigs can eat all we can get and
more to if I had not hapened to get some of the best Cows in the world I do not expect we could got enough to eat
We have got one Cow that I reckon to put her to her best She would give a barrel of milk at a time where she
lies of a knight the milk will run clean across the pen so I think we will have plenty to eat from this out. It has
been the wetest Spring I ever seen in my life it has nearly been a perpetual rain all the time. I am now by my
farm like the man was by making the broad axe I expect now to make a froe out of it. I thought all the time I
would have it planted in corn but now I think I wiil sow it in wheat next fall if I miss that. I will then try it in
oats and if they fail I will make a froe out of it my wheat I think will do to cut this in comeing week it is
tolerable good I have got the best Cabbage pach I ever seen and the corn I tend myself looks now like a black
Cloud the worst I have against tending of it is that I cant hit the ground to with my hoe for there is a rock in
the way every time and I cant begin to chaw tobacco and plow. Ab, I now think if I have no bad luck I shall make
a rise I com to Ark to gt me a home and I now own 480 acres of land and aims to have more if nothin hapens
and a heap of it good land Ab that I let my horse go in my last land trade so I am now a foot and expects to
remain so unless some of you will take pity on me and brong me a nag when you come. from wat I hear there
will be a jolly crowd of you all on the road next fall So you may expect to be skined on the road you will ha-re to
come with your purse in one hand and your pack in the other and your hat turned strait, up before if you will do
that maby you will come through safe. I seen your gal the other day and come to the conslusion her coat tail
went the way the mens did and the worst of its is now the - - - -- --she will improve some against you get here.
Ab I am sorry to inform you I have had bad luck in the gopher line it has been so wet I reckon is the cause of it.
I did want one on Johns account but as he is determed to do his best or burst the boiler he will have to go a head
and see what he will come to Poor Betsy--I pity her about having to use so many disrags on Jo I reckon it will
make rags take a rise tell her to make Jo lie out on a plank flat of his bak in a good sunny place-- - - the old
fellow, Ab I should like to see you all if I could b there one knight with you all together. I expect. there would be
a right smart of talking done and mayby some laughing but I suppose I shall have to wait till you all come. I am
still well pleased with my move it was the best. day work I ever done or at least I think so now and I do hope
when you all get here you will all be satisfied and do well. I think Dock & Hugh will come up in this section of
Country. I think it is as good as any part we can find so when you all get here we can soon find places to enter
or improved places to sell low for Cash Land is cheaper in this secion of Country then any I could hear from
and I think healthier the most of the people told me before I left when I got to Ark. I would think of my well
when I wanted a good drink but I do think I have got as good water as I ever tasted and plenty of it cold and pure.
I want you all when you get ready to start to write me a letter and start it so I can sorter fix for you and know
about the time you will land and I will try to kill some turkeys and a fat hog and have my Cag filled and of
course we will have plenty of milk and butter. So I reckon we will havee a jolly time---my advise is to be certain
and start against the first of October any how and don't load to heavy fetch all you convently can for you will
find it a job to get things here scarce and high. June 8th Wel I have commencea clearing a turnip pach but I
will swear it is so hot I do not know whether I can make the trip or not. it seems to me like it is now hot enough
for August but I have one comfort while I am at work I think it is a little the best ground I ever seen it would
manure the Coosawatt land very easy as as to the depth of the soil I cant tell any thing about it it may be fifty
feet deep for all I know. the growth on it is sassafras shoemuch hazelnut grapevine elder cherry and mulberry
all small but as thick as the hair on a dogs back and the bigest richest looking weeds you ever seen -- Ran is
running 3 plows in my field tnday so maby he will get it planted time enough to make rosten ears if nothin
else. Tomorrow I want to go to the postoffice to get a sythe blade so i will then mail my letter and I am in hopes
will find some in the office for me If it keeps as hot as it is now I expect I shall let my wheat stand in the field
for I dont believe I can make the trip to cut it and then see to the thrashing. Tell Lewis if he can get plenty of
thrashing to do there he need not come as there is one now in three miles of me and it uncertain about geting
mine cut be a certain and keep writing give my best respects to all the friends so I will stop till the Spirit
mooves me again. To A. Hames J R Montgomery (James Riley Montgomery to his brother-in-law Absolum
Hames. James Riley was married to Absolun's sister Martha and Absolum was married to James's sister
Julian. James and Julian were the children of Thomas and Mahalia Montgomery; Absolum and Martha were
the children of Thomas and Annie Hames.)

Springfield Conway County June 6th 1856

Dear brother, I once more avail my self of the oppertunity to pitching in a few more lines We are all well and
able to eat more than we can get me and Dock and Robert all weigh in one notch 61 lbs the prospects of crops
looks rather bad at this time We have had a bundance of rain this Spring and Gineral green as took posesion
of all the farms Wheet is tolerable good Oats is not wort a cent the rust has took them Sick, as to mills I think
wind mills would do the best business here in a dry time as there seems to be plenty of that I wrote to you about
the Hirecane we had which plade smart with us but the town is now in better fix than it was before it is
improving very fast I aim at selling out the first chance and enter land some where I haven't. desided where yet
but I have come to the conclusion that here in Conway is a bout as suitable a place as any whare If I had the
money to speculate on I would enter land on the Arkansas river from four to six bits per acre and let lie in a
few years it will be worth from, twenty five to fifty dollars per acre land seems to be rising very fast the reason
I aint bought land before now I want to find a place to my notion and settle down during life Ab you may think
when you get here you will kill lots of deer and turkey but if you land here a poore a man as me you will have
somthing else to do I would like to see you all very much I recon we would all take blows if we didn't have lots
of joley compeny that keeps us in fine sperits and once in awhile I get a few scetches of Jack Downing and
Crocket writing which gives us great pleasure and a few scetches a bout the goper rines Well now I will
comence in new as we read two letters today one from Mother and one from Sick dated May l5th 1858 which
we was delited to here that you was all well and it rather surprised me to here that Sick aimed at landing a
Batesville the first of June but it is about the best plan he could fall on I understand from a letter that Quince
got from his father that Jim Johnson had landed back to Murray a bout as I expected a lone man cant live here
so well and he thout it was best to pitch back to Joab. I waunt you to write whare Trimble is if you know. Mary
sais She is a guine to have a mess of Beans to morrow We have a very nice garden Give my best respects to all
inquiring friends So nothing more at presnt. To A. Hames and W. M. Montgomery and all my friends H. P.
Montgonery (Hugh Porter Montgomery to his brother William and to Absolum Hames.)

 
Izard County, Ark August l6th 1858

Dear Mother I will now try to answer your welcome letter of the 3lst of July, which reached us and found the
most of us well except Hale and Tom they still have the chills Tom has been drunk for two or three days and I
think the chills is broke on him Hale goes about when the chills and fever is off I do believe the chills hurt
people here like they did in Georgia The Most --- -- for me. ------- ---if I can help it. Your leter for ---- and
Robert at my house They was all ----- Conway as well as Izard Though he said - - all get here and ---he can get -
-- my place he will ----- Seemed to like Izard very well they left for home this morning. I reckon if no bad - --
and Robert ---- be back the first I now feel ---- hopes we will all get - -- one time and I am in hopes ---- better
situated than we ever was. I think when you all get ---- if you like the country ---- enough you ---- get land
cheeap enough here ---- do not like this The country here is a large ---- of country in the best that maby you
can be suited and if you cant be suited you can go back. Though I do not think there is any danger of that. I
begþin to want to see you all and thinks the time long. Dock and Robert looked verry natural. Docks voice was
very familiar You can tell Daddy his horse will be verry exceptable for I have to foot it these time so I expect
against you get here I shall be tiered footing of it. I am now carrying on my shop by my self my copardner has
concludied to go to school and Preaching, he make his first begin a Preaching last Sunday I do not have a
great deal of work to do in the Shop now. Horseshoeing is the most and you know I am a dabster at that work, it
has been almost to hot this summer to do anything it is also verry dry in places crops generally looks --- all ----
Crop on my place look; bad -- - was not planted till the 6th July and it has been to dry ever since, the Johnson
boys I expect will be back before this letter reaches you. George can tell you about some of this Country and I
guess Jane Gilbert will tell a dismal tale about this Country and I expect she has had a rough time of it they
lived in a sickly part of the country I do now wonder at their being sick there is some sickness in this country
now mostly chills I don't hear of much fatal sickness At least the Doctor does not get a great deal of riding to
do I am still well satisified with the country and things if no bad luck I can do well or at least make plenty to
live on I beleive I have had my health better and feel better than I did in Georgia. You can tell Ab there is plenty
of turkeys here now I kill one evry once in a while They come close to my house so I think against he gets
here we can have some fun killing turkeys deer is tolerable scarce at this time but turkeys is plenty. I coul
buy place plenty for Daddy but when he gets here he might not want them. There is lots of good places to sell
from two hundred to one thousand dollars, tell Ab I wrote to Hank all I knew about his and John Edmondsons
business Hales says to tell you she is shakeing with the ager but she is cutting peaches to dry to eat. when she
gets well. the children is all in a powerful way drying peaches except Robert and he is devling the balence he is
as bad again as Tom and Frank ever was for Devilment Dock says Robert is nearly as heavy as Octava. Martha
says if you expect to weave any when you get here you had better fetch your Slags with you for there is no
chance to get any here. She says she expects we will have to use Jonny Cake boards for she has made no cloth
sinces she has been here. Tell July Purill try to let her have some of my stock of cattle if I dont shoot the old
bich for jumping in my field I believe I have wrote all I can think of I want you to start a letter to me a day or two
before you start when you write again direct your letters to Violet Hill, Izard County Ark. That is a new post
office in half a mile of me. So good by for this time. J. R. Montgomery (James Riley Montgomery to his mother
Mahalia Mauldin Montgomery) (Transcriber's Note: This was probably malaria which causes reoccuring
bouts of dizziness, fever and chills.)

 
Buckmountain, Sept 1 10th 1859

Dear Sister & Father & Mother ---- and all the rest I take this oportunity to write you a few lines to let you no
that we are all well and hope these lines may find all the same I received your letter the other day dated August
17th which give me great pleasure to hear from you all and to hear you was all well and well satisfied. i have
had a few shakes of the ager since Abb ----- though I ----- again Tom ---- has had the ----- Since Abb was here
but he is well again. There is a right smart of sickness in this part of the world now. Though there is not
agreet many deaths, I have got as fine a crop on my place as you ever saw I will make corne pleanty to do me
and I saved fodder plenty to do me I have got me annother house raised I built it to the end of my old one and left
a pasage between so you can see I will have double cabins You seem to have plenty of cabage well you are better
offin that line than we are ----- Chickens -- - us ---- as to coming up I dont no how it will be yet as I dont no
whether I can get a wagon and teem or not if I can and get some one to keep house for me till we come back I
will come but you see there is a heap of it in the way. The children and Ann talks about nothing but going to
big Graneys and I want them to come as bad as or they do if we come you will hear us jingling along before
long. I have spoke for ---- Barrel to fetch to get ---- of Molass I think I will get ---- nother to fill with crout but I
dont no wether it is worth while to pester with the crout barrel as we canjust put Hughs cabbage head in the
wagon and fetch it home and crout it at our leasure. Well Abb I have not bin a turkey hunting since you was
here I think when the leaves falls you must come down and go with me as turkeys is all the game we have here
for the deer has all dyed with the Black tounge though it has not been very fatal with the Cows Well Sick if
you was down here you could get im---- working ---- guns and get your own price for your work They devil me
nealy to death a trying to get me to work on their guns for them they seem to think there is nobody else can fix
their guns but me and you no I am a sory hand at the business well dady and Mother I dont see what is to hinder
you from coming down as you have got the wagon and teem and some one to leave at home and realy I dont see
what is to hinder any of you from coming to see me better than I can come to see you as I am by my self and no
one to leave to take care of my things and there is so many of you you could come any time. 1 got a letter the
other day from John H. King he says he is doing well and all he lacks is a wife he is working at the Silver
Smiths trade and gets as much work as he can do was it not a good thing that Banker hung himself I thought
Joby Swift was dead before we left Georgia but I suppose he has scrached out again to get to kill himself Well
let ---- go if Strouds can spare him ---- I can ---Well Hugh I dont no what to say to you I have not sold your place
yet nor dont no when I shall as Town property is not much in demand There is not much news here that would
be new to you Vann Johnson is dead I believe he is all that is dead that you knew as to wedings they are not very
plenty buts as to peach orchard Boars we have plenty and the girls would not be afraid if they was four times --
- large. There I will have to come to a close as the lampe is most burnt out. Mrs. Jones sends her respects to
you all Says she would like to see you all verv much Ann says she has got the nicest boy in Conway County he
goes to bed of a night with rest of the children and she dont have to nurs him to sleep. She send her respects to
you all There I will quit. Nothing more at presant But remains you Brother and Son W. ---- Montgomery
(William Franklin Montgomery to his sister Julian (Montgomery) Hames and his parents Thomas and
Mahalia (Maulden) Montgomery).

 
Buck Mountain July 22,1860

Dear Sister and all the Rest, I received your letter yesterday which found us all in good health I was glad to
hear that you was all well as I had begun to think there was something the matter as I could not hear from you
We have the hotest weather I ever felt and the dryest Our crops is nearly burnt up The peoples think we wont
make more than a half crop and if we dont I cant see what we will do for bread next year for there is no old corn
in the Cuntery and we would have had to done with out bread if they had not hauled meal from Marion county
here and sold it to us at 1.25 pr bushel and as to wheat it is not here flower is worth five dollars pr hundred and
scirce at that. Well Mother the reason why T am coming to Batesville and not coming to see you all is because
none of you want to come to see me. I think I have done my duty coming to see you al1 but I dont think you have
all done yours. I want to see all as bad as you posibly can want to see me I am here by my self and there you are
all to gether and dont think of me enough to come and see me. I have got one Runaway Negro in Jail but I am
looking for his master to come and take him out and then the Jail will be clear. Octavia is going to School and
is learning very fast She can spel most any where in her Book Leoner wont go to School because she says her
Mother cant spare her and as to my boys the world cant beat them. Ann says her little one is the nicest one
because he is black eyed he is beginning to crawl and cant set alone that beats all you boys. July 29th Well I
will try and finish my letter well we have had a good rain and it is thundering now and I think we will have
more so I think we will make pretty good crops yet Well Hugh I will tell you who is maried Mr. Zeb Venable to
Miss Susan Hobs and there is a great likelyhood Dr. Hannah and Mary Morgan & John Venable & Bety
Whitcotten. Well, I will quit for this time by Saying I think some of you might come and see me. Wright soon
and often. I remain the same. Wm F Montgomery

Oct 28th 1861 Bowling Green Ky

Dear Father and friends, I will once more send you a few lines but has never received a line from home yet in
the first place I am well and hearty Iam as heavy as I ever was, the Ca-p agrees with me so far Hugh is rather
on the puny order he has had a light fever for several days until yesterday he missed he has been taking
medicine I think now with care he may miss a spell of sicknes John Goodwin had a chill yesterday Wm Arnold
is now down with the Measles We have got them well broke out on him now so I think with care he will soon be
up You can see one half our men is sick and the other half will Ab is as fat as a Bear Anderson Jones is verry
low and has been for several days he had the diareer and Measles he may be a little better this morning but it
is hard to tell Bob and Jo is both puny I think mostly cold There was 20 on the IS Sick list in our company this
morning and Capt Smiths Compy there was 40 mostly Measles I dont think there is many dangerous cases if
they will try to take care of theselves We have had no fighting yet and some times I dont believe we will though
there is two hostile Armies close together our picket guards has little brushes occasionally There is one
thing if the Lincon troops does conclude to give us a fight They will get badly whiped our boys all seems
anxious to get a lick at the Linconites Daddy I want you evry chance you can to see how the Children is geting
on with their work direct them all you can and I think Tom if can keep well will do the best he can and Frank I
calculate will do as he pleases M------ tell Mcouistin Rigs Black and Uncle Billy that I would write to them all
but they will hear the letters I write and they must excuse me for I have not forgot them because I do not
particular write to them I have a bad chance to write Cookings Drilling and seeing to the Sick keeps me verry
bust and then I have to write a good many letters for the other boys. I want all to write as soon as you can and as
much sooner as you please. Direct your letters to: J. R. Montgomery Bowling Green Kentucky Care of Capt
Barnett 9th Regt.. Central Division Arkansas Volunteers When the letters came to Bowling Green if we are
gone they will follow us. I could tell a heap if I was there but I will have to quit writing for this time. Write
soon. J. R. Montgomery To: Thos Montgomery I expect to send this by hand into Arkansas before it is mailed.
There is one thing I can say Arkansas is the best country I have seen yet. (James Riley Montgomery to his
father Thomas Montgomery)

Bowling Green, Ky Dec 22nd 1861

Dear Wife, I again seat myself to write you a few lines to still let you know that I am living and havenit evtirely
forgotten you. I am well at this time and hope that these few lines will find you all well I have almost despared of
ever hearing from you. I havent had the Scraps of a pen since I left Arkansas. I have written you several letters
lately but never get any answer from you. I dont see why you dont write or if you do why they dont cmoe for the
other boys gets letters from Violet Hill every week now. I can hear through their letters that the people around
is ginerally well and that is some satisfaction but not enough to Satisfy my anxieties. I haven't had a letter
from any body Since I have been on in the Campaign. I will write to all of the old Neighbors and meaby I will get
an answer from Some of them. I am very anxious to hear from home more on account of what is going on with
thoese union men than anything else I have understood they wes going to play the wild with you all but I am in
hops they will catch them and hang them as high as hamon for we have no use for any such men in Arkansas if
our Battalion was sent back there we would soon make a clean shucking of them for we have been out ong
enough now not to care for anything hardly We would take it was a pleasure to get after the Tories and make
them the most delightful wether I ever saw for the time of year but it has change and has Set in to raining and
tuining cold We will have bad wether from now on I am afraid the balance of the winter we are still at the same
place doing nothing we have been looking for the Yankees to come on us ever since we have been here but they
havent showed themselves yet our troops or a good portion of them have been ordered to move to Green River
There was one Regiment started this morning but they have all come back to Camp again. I cant tell why they
have come back unless the Yankees have retreated back towards Louisville. I expect that Peace will soon be
made from all accounts and I dont care much how soon for their is no fun in a Camp life but we get on fine have
plenty to eat and not much to do yet but we may have plenty to do yet if peace is not made soon for there will
have to be some fighting done next Spring. I dont se any use in keeping an Army out twelve months and doing
nothing. We znade a draw yesterday. I drew fifteen dollars. We drawed for a month and eight days. If I had any
chance I would send it home to you but I have no chance that I know of. I don't care about risking it by Mail for
mail routs are too tricky now to depend on. I have a notion of trying to send you a paper. We get here the
Louisville Courrier it is a splended paper if you could get it you could tell what is going on here evry day it is a
dayley paper printed in Nashville, Tennessee. Some of the Company gets it evry day and by that we can tell
what is going on all the time from here to richmond, Virginia. We have all of the Telegraphic dispatches from
all points. England, Spain, France and Holland, has all recongised the indipendence of the Sourthern
Confederacy and england has all ready caled out her transports for the war. they will come intwo Canada and
that will hem the duck. We will have them surrounded completely. England sais she will tare out all of the
bloackades in the South and Blocade up the North If that is done the Yankees will have to give in. Some of the
Bit Men is of?'ering to make large bets on peace being made in the course of forty days. It may be made that
soon but if it is we will all have to Stay a long time before we can out discharges made out. it will take nearly as
long to get out as it did to get in but if we hold out faithfully we will get out sometine I recon in coarse of a year
or so as my paper is growing short I will have to begin to bring my lines to a close. I want you to be sure and
write and I will answer all the letters that comes from home with pleasure. I all so hope that by the time this
comes to hand you will have received several letters from me. Write what is going on what you are all doing
enerally. I am amxious to hear from you all nothing more. I send you all my best wishes and receive for your
self my love and may I still remain Yours Truly. Absalum Hames to Julian Hames (Absalum Hames to his wife
Julian (Montgomery) Hames).

Janice Eddleman is the great-great-granddaughter of James Riley and Mary Martha (Hames) Montgonery and
will gladly exhange information about the Montgomery and Hames families. Her address is: 1807 Sunshine
Mine Road Hackett, Arkansas 72937