The following letter was written by George Naven, a wagoner in Co. F, 6th Regiment, Missouri State Cavalry. This regiment was organized in the spring of 1862 and saw duty at Cameron and in Central Missouri till June, 1862. They participated on a scout into Pettis county in late July and then were ordered to Sedalia, Missouri, where they remained until late August, 1862. It was while in Sedalia that George wrote this letter to his friend, Francis D. Phillips (1826-1911), an Irish emigrant residing in Plattsburg, Clinton county, Missouri.

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Sedalia, [Missouri]
August 12th 1862

Mr. F. D. Phillips,

Sir, your letter came to hand on the 11th by Mr. Michell. I received two letters. The first I received from you I was going out on a scout and I have had no opportunity to answer it, and when I got back, I received the last letter. The men that came from Plattsburg arrived here safe and well. They would have been here sooner, [but] the Colonel at Lexington called our boys in to reinforce him on the account of the trouble there. That is the cause of our boys being detained.

Mr. Mitch informed me that you have been bitten by a rattlesnake but he tells me you was getting better when he left.

That history that John Barns told about us being abolitionists or not laying down our arms until the negro is free—it is an infamous lie. There is two men in the regiment I believe a little tinged with abolitionism and that is all. It stands to hand for John to tell such a plausible history as that for if I was to desert my country’s flag as he has done, I could scratch up some infamous lie. I would like to see you but when you see me, I will come honorable—not as a deserter. Luis and Rollin is here and held as deserters. I will not mention what their punishment is because I do not think it would be prudent.

You must excuse this letter [that] I commenced on the 12th. We had an alarm and we have all been on duty ever since and reinforcements arriving every hour or so until today, the 15th, and the arlarm is quiet now and I conclude to finish my letter.

As for myself, my health is good. The diarrhea has left me and I seldom do without I should catch a cold and that is seldom. That gun Mr. Shepherd had taken from him, I believe it is his neighbors. I believe that he is no more than a bushwhacker and if you ever see him, shoot him as ew do all bushwhackers. I mean Keiffer.

I expect that this last call sets very hard on McClenick as he has boasted a good deal. I would like what he has done. I wonder if he ain’t called on the mountains to fall upon and him. That history that John Barnes told about us being swindled out of our pay is a lie. The paymaster made a mistake in paying off this regiment but when the mistake was known at headquarters, we had a little sent to us—not a payment. Every man that had a contraband have received 10 dollars—just enough for pocket change—with the assurance that we would receive all of our pay the next pay day.

I close my letter. My best respects to you and your family and Mr. George Shepherd’s and his brother’s families. Yours very respectfully, — George Naven