Gives an account of the Battle of Helena, as well as his opinions regarding the enlistment of black troops. Transcription: Fort Curtis Helena Ark. July 8th 1863 Dear father I sit down to write you afew to let you know that I am well and that I received your letter this morning dated 28th of July June Father I have not mutch to write I wrote you a letter the sixth I give you all the news in the letter I wrote sixth of the fight we have fired some 75 guns from the fort to day there has ben a great to do to day Major Gen Prentis[Benjamin Mayberry Prentiss] Brig Gen Ross[Leonard Fulton Ross] Gen
Gives an account of the Battle of Helena, as well as his opinions regarding the enlistment of black troops. Transcription: Fort Curtis Helena Ark. July 8th 1863 Dear father I sit down to write you afew to let you know that I am well and that I received your letter this morning dated 28th of July June Father I have not mutch to write I wrote you a letter the sixth I give you all the news in the letter I wrote sixth of the fight we have fired some 75 guns from the fort to day there has ben a great to do to day Major Gen Prentis[Benjamin Mayberry Prentiss] Brig Gen Ross[Leonard Fulton Ross] Gen Salomon[Frederick Salomon] and others share at the lower of the port I think Father that the war will be over by the end of the year I believe that Gen Meade will soon clean old Lee Father sinia said that she thought the government had come to a prety post[?] well Father I dont for a reb killed by a negro is just as good as if I had killed him and to say that a negro wont fight that is all a mistake for I saw negroes go where I would have been afraid to go there was a negro [unclear word] that left his shot[?] and come up in the port and got a gun and went over on the hill where the rebs was and took a prisoner and marched him over to the fort and another thing I never com in to the service to fight has the freedom of the niger but if they are a going to be freed hero a mong us I wasnt ever one to have a gon to fight for his freedom and if he is killed that [two unclear words] of the way and if it had not ben for the negros, the troops and this place last spring would have had a hard time it all foolishness to say that the government has come to that pass for he just as well be shot as me if he does kill one that is something and he is but a small loss if he does get kill I want to let you know that I am no abolitionist I aint in for freeing the negro Father I will have to come to a close your son David. T. Massey Title: Letter signed David T. Massey, Fort Curtis, Helena, Ark.,
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Keywords: civil_war, military
