November 24 1856

Dear brother I received your letter dated the 7 and was glad to hear from you and always will be glad to get letters from home but when you get ready to wright to me again please leave it off an other week and maybe you can think of noncense enough to fill a letter without writing Capitals [XXXXX] you mentions [XXXXX] that marry ann masterman marryed mr huntI was sorry to hear it though I was glad to hear that that you had a chance to enjoy a few [XXXXX] moments at an evening party and am very much obliged to you for dancing with Sarah Mc for me and I hope that you will continue to do your duty for I concider it your duty to dance with the girls for me while I am absent from home (you never mentioned how gorge Mc and his wife get along I hope Mr [XXXXX] and family are all well here is a dam [XXXXX] siting a here before me and I can’t think of anything to wright she is a free Colored Lady (you sayd something about that damd old shot gun on mine I left the locks out at bil wyley to be sent to old [XXXXX].  I do not know wheter they were ever sent or not if you want to get it there is a card on the gun withe my name on it.  I opend your letter when I was coming home this evening to see who it was from and the first thing I read you wanted to no what was going on in Kansas I looked ahead of me to where the roads broke I saw about

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500 soldiers a going on and I looked down the river an saw some nice stemers and they were all going onn and that is the way with all the people in Kansas they are all going on I guess they are going on to hell so you see I have told you what is going on in Cansas.  If I  had none as much one month ago as I do now I would have had a Deed to 160 achers of land now but never mind there is more land to be sold in Cansas yet thare is the finest Country in Cansas [Kansas] I ever saw nice roling prairy nice timber on the cricke you mentioned something about my being in governor protection but I aint no have not been but if uncle sams troops had been at hickry point fifteen minits sooner than they were I might have had the honor of wriding with uncle sams tropps but Captin harvey had given orders that [XXXXX] should be sent towards Leavenworth city to see where abouts the Companys of Captain Dun and milers Company were camping for you must no that they were camping all the whill only when provisions got so scarce that they could not help marching and that is the way withe all the proslavery companys done there is 29 of our Company in Custoday at Lacomton yet I have been on to see them once.  I had as good a horse and as good a gun as there was in our Company thare was a man living on Crooked Crick who furnisht m with a horse and rifle and revolver what I have told you is tru I have rode night night after night without getting out of my saddle

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there is no roads no breaks no trail no groves no crossing no springs no partys of any kind between Leavenworth and Lorance [Lawrence] or Lacompt [Lecompton] but what I know well, I am going to bed gest now you wanted to no how much dunlope was owing me $2.50 I suppose you know that I had the pleasure of boarding with [XXXXX] while I was out thare well you want to know what is going on in Kansas well I will tell you the land sales [XXXXX] the 17 of november thare is more speculators here than you can have any ideah of these men don’t trouble the [XXXXX] at all but take every foot of vacant land ruff or smooth our troubles are at an end things are verry peasible here now governor gary [Geary] told judge Lacompt that he had no further use for him not marshal donalson that [XXXXX] excitement around the proslavery party but they know better than to make intoh fuss about it you talk as if you thought if you wait for that I would hunt with you.  I have something else to do I can kill all the game we want before sunrise and by moonlight so what would be the use for me to hunt [XXXXX] and that you could not to for you don’t get up early anough and you never [XXXXX] any and so you could not hunt well at night.  I must quite for the night again for that [XXXXX] has got here before me again.  25th The 26 I have been in masuria every day for a month and staying in kansas every night I am a pilgrim and a stranger and I am a going to wander till I am twenty one and then I will tarry a little while.  If O.C. Hickok rights you any more letters I want you to send them to me wheter thare is anything in them of any account or not jest so that is all for tonight.

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the 27 1856

Now my Dear Brothers I want you to excuse these few lines that I have writen to you and also those bad mistakes and bad speling for I have writen them all by candel light evry night when i was about half right and the others half not exacly right and I can’t see well enough to spell well at night when I am all right I have got a bad cold [XXXXX] weighing 180 pounds now I will tell you a few lyes I have quit swaring now take care that bill I have drinking but but now bill I have quit playing poker now thare take care what you say I have quit dancing entirely [XXXXX] I have quit chewing tobaco and I don’t touch any lager beer and I don’t speak to the girls at all I am geting to be a perfect hermit my fiddle my dog and my gun I all most worship.  I hold no intercarce with the world around every thing looks dark about me and around but thare is a bright spark ahead and it I see and it I will [XXXXX] till my fiddle strings brake and my dog dyes and my gun bursts that is so.  I want Lydia and celinda booth to wright to me evry week with out fail hiram higing the rescal was a going to wright to me often if I would wright to him twice and am waiting for an answer I wish this sheet of paper was a [XXXXX] for I would like to wright a little more show I will have to [XXXXX] and only these few lines I am sorry but I can’t help it from your Brother James Hickok to H.D. Hickock.