Camp on Bayou Beth Oct 13^th 1863

 

            Dear Wife as we are laying up to day I will write you a few lines to let you know where I am at this time there I am in the enjoyment of very good health now & hope these lines may find you all so there are a good many of the boys in bad health nearly all the sick have gone up to Alexandria Ben Scruggs has been chilling he is getting better & able to travel with the command James Downard is with us Will has the rheumatism in his legs he is gone to Alexandria Clark Loring is here & well we are now camped on Bayou Beth about forty miles southeast of Alexandria. we left the Chafalia last monday week & have been travelling nearly all the time ever since but have been travelling back one day we went up to a place called chana Springs & stayed one day then started back. I wrote to you a few days ago & told you about our fight we had at Foredoche on the other side of the Chafalia which letter I presume you have gotten before this time I will just say though that we whiped them with the loss of about 100 killed & wounded no person hurt in our company. we have been falling back since & the feds are across the Chafalya & at Vermillionville coming up this way but it is said that they have divided their forces & part are going towards Niblets Bluffs the other part that are coming this way we expect to fight again. I do not know whether we will go to meet them or wait till they come walker's Division is with us now that is they are acting with us So we have got a pretty good little army here now, enough I think to clean them up I was in Fitzugh's Regt. the day before we left the Chafalya I saw Rhine Jones & Wheeler's boys they were all in very good spirits I do not know where they are at now 

 

I wrote to you in my last what I got in the last battle I sold my horse bridle & saddle for four hundred & fifty dollars & I have made arrangements with Ben Scruggs to send you one hundred dollars that is I pay him that amout here & he is writing to his wife to pay you one hundred dollars then I would send you more but he did not know whether his wife would have it to spare or not as he expected that she probaly had laid it out in land I want you if you need any more to borrow it of her & write me word & I will pay him here that is if she has it to spare I am afraid to send money by mail I have some six hundred dollars & I wish you had it all I have not much news to write to you we had a very hard thunder storm & rain last night. Joseph Mathews the man that his wife died last winter left us on the night of the 10^th Deserted he had the praise too of being a very brave man in the fight. I received your letter written on 6^th Sept on 6^th of Oct just one month on the road it gave me a great deal of pleasure to hear from you I was sorrow to hear of our sweet little willie being so sick. you said Eddy would start to school in the morning well my son Eddy I know you will learn fast I know I have smart boys that cant be beet. I want you to do your best your pa thinks may be he will get to come home this coming winter to se you all. I do think you are getting along fine with your work. I am glad it is so. I am not needing any thing now but pants & I think I will have chances to get them other clothing I have enough to do me all winter Tell Matilda I think she has done fine this last summer spinning & I am in hopes she will get well yet in texas. give my respects to Apalonia & tell her that I am under obligations to her staying with you. So I must close ecept my love & well wishes you

Husband                                                                                             

Thomas. W. Johnson

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