Camp Collier   Sabine Post   9th March 1862

My Dearest Elizabeth

Yours of the 4th instant came to hand yesterday morning. Calvin got down to camp at 2 oclock in the morning.

Thank you for the privilege of once more hearing that all were well at home. I am very sorry to hear that you and Reese do not get along as you ought to. I will enclose his letter to me that you may see what he has written, and I hope in future that you and him both will try to do for the best for I tell you of a truth unless we make some thing to eat we are ruined and undone forever, therefore I hope you will make some sacrifice of what you may think to be your rights and push every thing forward to make a crop. Reese must have Sheep to plow when it is not absolutely necessary for you to use him. Catherine must do all our plowing with {?} Ball, and when you are compelled to have Sheep for other use you must let Reese have Ball to be plowing. And as for his feeding Sheep, he ought to have sense enough to know as well how to feed a horse as you do, and you should not fall out about that. Sheep has been lame at times ever since Dallas rode him to cousin Lazar?ses and got him hurt. I do not think he will ever get over it, and you should not blame Reese for him being lame. If he is regularly and plentifully fed he will not flounder, or become lame from eating to much, but will become lame occasionally for his old hurt.

I will be glad for Bro. Joseph to take Bunnie and work him and have him altered as soon as he may think best to do so. I told Reese to let old man Wallace have what tall corn was in the mill when he came after his he had there. Knowing his family would stand a good chance to starve without some assistance, but you must not let Wallace or any one else have any, except movers or travelers, for I dread starvation worse than Lincolns armies. I have bought the 2 lbs. Copparas and will send it the first chance.

I want no clothes at present. I may want some summer pants after a while. My 3 new shirts are good and will last me most of the year. The 2 old ones are almost done. I do not know what Dallases wants are. I suppose he will want clothing after a while but there is no use in sending it soon. I am glad and thankful to hear that our hogs are doing well, but I fear our cattle will not do well. In relation to the Marshburn place, if Harvell wants to cultivate it let him do so, but if he has only straightened the fence from the Hickory trees to the creek, he has not taken in 3 acres nor the half of it, and as I do not know what has been done I can not say what is right. I shall expect and require Mr. Harvell to do what is right about it, and I shall ask no more. Allen Miller says he never heard or thought of Franklin Freeman making any threats. If Franklin has been the least hurt with me since being here I have never heard of it, and his appearance proves it to be false, as he has always appeared friendly.

As I have written to you a good deal lately I have but little to write at present. I think you ought by this time to come to the conclusion, to never trouble yourself about reports, no matter how feasible they may seem.

You have suffered enough to kill you a dozen times, and its all for nothing but to please a pack of lying villains. They have caused you to act a fool and are now no doubt, laughing about it. I have tried to give you good advice all the time but you would not heed it. And I now believe if you were to hear some other report you would believe it in an instant, but time will prove whether you have learned any thing by the past or not.

As soon as I learn what time I can go up to Hookes I will write you in time to meet you there. We have not received any money from the government yet and I do not know when we will. I hear no talk of pay lately. If you should see Adams or have a chance to send him word, let him know that I will let him have some money when ever the government pays up and I do not expect to pay any thing before, as I have none and I can not collect any thing that is due me. I do not know why Calvin should say that he expected we would be removed from here. The Major says he has nothing of the kind intimated and that the calvary company here has petitioned the President to let them do the seat of war and he has refused to do so. He wants them to stay where they are. Dallas had a chill this morning and now has some fever. I will have him take the {?}A____ Pills and try to stop it before it goes any further.

It would afford me a great deal of pleasure to come home and see you all, but there is no use in my thinking of such a thing at present. I want to come the first of May if circumstances will permit and I hope to see you at Hooks' between this and that time and to see as many of the children with you as you can conveniently take down. Take more pains in writing your letters, you leave out a great many words and many others are spelled wrong. I should think you read enough to know how to spell better than you do. You also make many grammatical errors; for instance you write, now for know---say for says, and frequently you write, have for has---and frequently you add an e to words where it does not belong. I make this request through the best of feeling and hope you will strive to improve in writing. I have written all that I can think of that I suppose will interest you, and do not know when I shall have the chance of writing to you again, but suppose it will not be long before some of the company will be coming up. I again request that you and Reese try to get on right and peaceable. You need not let him know that you have his letter.

Hoping this may find you all well & to see you soon in peace and love I remain your affectionate Husband

J. G. Collier

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(above letter in possession of Barbara Yancey Dore, Nederland, Tx)