Little Cumberland
Oct. 16th 1862
My own dearest wife,
I had the unspeakable delight to receive your sweet little letter of the 6th on yesterday and although it had been ten days in finding me it was received with the fondest delight imaginable. Do you know it made me love you a little bit more than I ever did? to see the self-sacrificing love you spoke of in regard to the paying of my taxes. No darling I don't want you to take your money to pay my taxes with. I want the 'tax collector' to enforce the law, and I will see if there is no way of improving his principles. It was his duty to have come down here and collected our taxes. You see we could not leave here to go to him so it was his duty to come to us. I sent to Savannah by Mathews for $200 for you and 'pa' I don't know when I will have an opportunity of sending it to you but will as soon as I can. In regard to the renting of Col. A.'s house for Mr. Royce I spoke to him about it but he made no reply.
Oh you don't know how glad I was to hear that 'Eula' was growing so finely! Oh how I do wish I could see you both! But gracious knows when I will have that pleasure unless you come to me for it seems that I never will have another chance to visit sweet home again. Oh! If I could only see you for just a little while so I could embrace my darling wife and sweet little babe, oh how I do wish that unholy war would have an end, for if there is one in this world who wants to go home it is me. We are looking for the steamboat to take us down to the 'south-end battery' every minute; I don't know when we will leave. I hope when we get there you can stay in St. Marys and I will be able to see you sometimes. I will write you (or go to see you if I can get off) as soon as I get here and let you know how to find me. You must give my love to all the fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers and friends. And please darling, darling wife take care of my own darling wife and baby. You must write me very often for you don't know how much it does cheer me up to receive a letter from my precious darling wife. Goodbye darling may Heaven bless you my darling pet.
Your own darling boy
Nate.
Note: This is the last of the 1861-1862 letters, no letters have been found by the family between this date and July 15th, 1864
According to the Roster of the Confederate Soldiers of Georgia 1861-1865, Vol. III
Nate's original company ceased to exist in May 1862, and a majority of the members reenlisted in Capt. Brown's Company, Camden Mounted Rifles, which subsequently became Co. C. 4th Regt. Ga. Vol. Cavalry (Clinch's).