Campbell Letter : July 23, 1861

John writes to his brother, stating that he would like to come help him harvest his crops, but feels compelled to stay in Peoria, where he has a steady job working on the railroad bridge. He denounces the Confederate "insurrection" and claims he would have liked to sign up for the military, but decided against it for an unclear reason. Also, he mentions hearing about the Union defeat in "western Verginia"--presumably First Manassas.