Benson Station

March the 6^th 1863

 

Friend William Barten

I embrace the pleasant

Opportunity of writing you a few lines to let you know that i am well and hearty Hoping when this reaches you it may find you enjoying the same

 

Dear Sir not receiving any letter from you yet i felt it my duity to write one fore you fore i am anxious to hear from you and the friends around you Sir wee company I 103 regiment are 5 miles from frankfort up the railroad guarding 2 briges to keep the secesh scoundrels from burning them. wee have been here about 5 weeks and i dont know how soon wee will / be releaved the remainder of our regiment are at lexenton now but i dont know how long they will remain there but i dont care how long they stay there as long as they leave us here i dont care how long they stay fore i cant complain any of the place which wee now are i am perfectly contented Wee have a grocery Depot and post Of verry handy to our place of which wee wee can patronize if wee feel so disposed

 

Our duity that i have to perform here is not much only guarding which is military Sir is there any excitement where you live about this conscript law my opinion is that that / verry law will be the means of amany poor man selling himself into the service altho i dont think there kneed any boddy think hard of it

 

I dont know that wee nead to complain fore wee take a sociable game of eucher once and a while which is verry good amusement fore us which pases off nice i suppose you would like to know wheather there has any decerted sir if that is your request will inform you there has 4 or 5 decerted from our company of which they violated the lass of wore besides a disgrace which will always follow them in the future times to come i think it shoos a small principel of them selves / it is a stain which they can never wash off it shoos the patriotism of such caricters as those

 

I send my best respects to marie Stevens and when i come home i will bring a beadfellow along fore her please tell her wee have verry dry times here fore the female sects are so scarce only once and [?] and they are scitish as hell

 

Please write soon and oblige your friend

 

tell me all the news if it takes you a week to write it

 

Direct to follow the regiment Frankford Ky

103 regiment Co I in care

of captain wilcox

            OVI                

Jonas Bitner

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