October
18, 1862
Camp Murphy
Calhoun, Henry County
Missouri
Dear
Brother Hadley:
It
is now after eight o'clock at night, and I am acting as corporal of
the guard and will have to be up until one o'clock. I think this will
be a good time to answer his kind letter of the fifth installment
which came to hand yesterday. It found me well and hearty and in fine
spirits. And I hope this will find you all enjoying the same.
We
are still here at Calhoun. All is quiet here today, but last night
about midnight there was a false alarm given, which caused a good
deal of excitement for awhile. Captain Murphy (commanding this post)
is charged with cowardice by our boys. And I am sure myself that he
is easily excited. So some of the mischievous boys of this section
concluded that they would raise a false alarm to see how the captain
would behave himself. According to their intentions, about midnight
they fired a blank cartridge from one of our cannons, which did what
they intended, for in less than five minutes the whole camp was in
line of battle and great many of the Militia crying out, "We
are attacked!" Captain Murphey was soon amongst the excited crowd,
cursing and swearing and declaring that he would instantly kill the
man that fired that gun, if he could find out who done it, but this
was a mystery. The excitement all died away in a short time and soon
all returned to bed. Thus ended our late battle in Missouri.
My
candle is now about gone and I will have to quit for the present.
Probably I will write some more before I mail it as the mail does
not leave until day after tomorrow.
Harrison
Talbert
