“The North…cannot conquer us,” Writes General Ranson

Confederate general who commanded at Antietam, Fredericksburg and the Seven Days battles.

Autograph Letter Signed, 3 pages, May 19, 1862 to his wife. “…I will do my duty most faithfully by the soldiers who are under me. It is very gratifying to see the genuine affection of the officers and men of my old regiment for me. When I left there was hardly a dry eye in the regiment. As you will see, the officers subscribed $500 for a sword to present me. They will have to send to Europe for a nice one as one cannot be had in the South…I shall get on much better here, for Col. Stokes was very jealous of me & threw a great many obstacles in my way. I am so happy though that I kept my duty steadily in view & stuck to it…I am so much happier now, since I am not so ambitious, only wishing to do right & not caring so much for public opinion…I have been so much desiring today to be with you, my precious wife…This place, Kinston, is a small village of about 500 inhabitants on the banks of the Neuse River…The citizens have nearly all left. We are some 35 miles from New Berne. Our pikets and the enemy’s approach very closely. I will send you some Northern papers; we take prisoners and buy them almost daily. Tell Annie I see here plenty of the Yankees. I can form no opinion of Burnsides’ plans. I cannot think however that you are in any danger, yet whenever you are I will surely be with you my best wife – you hear much more news from Richmond than I do…I know this war cannot last much longer…The North must see that they cannot conquer us. I still think we shall have peace in two or three months. It is impossible for the war to last much longer…write me all the details of the plantation if you please…This separation from you is really unbearable…”

Ransom was a great leader of men and deeply beloved by his troops of all ranks. Shortly after this letter he commanded at Malvern Hill and was wounded there. His prediction about the war’s result was not an accurate one, but just 10 years after this letter, he would begin a service of over two decades in the U.S. Senate.