Lookout Mountain Tenn

Feb 13^th 1864

 

Dear Mother

                        I seat my self this night two answer your kind and welcome letter of the 10^th and was hapy to hear ove you enjoying good health my health is good we are stil on the mountain but i dont think we will be there long from what i can learn part ove our corps left chattanooga two day for Knoxville of this is true as i think it is most ashuredly we will folow but we have not yet received any orders yet but orders is a thing that can come at any moment i have not heard of any battle being expected up their of late but them calling our corps their seems as if they expected something to come off soon 

 

our old colonel is in Chattanooga getting mustered in the survice a gain two take command ove our regt the boys got up a paper last evening asking him to get mustered into the survice as quick as possible and to be our leader a gain most evry man in the regt signed it the boys are in great spirits and anxious to see him no person knows how bad a commander can use his men til they try it on i see in your letter that they men that is enrolled are paying money to clear them selves if they would hear the boys express their opinion a bout the drafted men they would come out they was a letter received by one of our officers to day from a butler county man telling him to get all the boys he could belonging to butler county in this regt to enlist a gain and send their names to the county and they would pay them one hundred dolars of a bounty / they boys has been studying for some time to see what the people at home means and they have give it up as a puzle if you can please let me know in your next letter i forgot to tell you some three weeks ago our commander had in the neighborhood of 20 men tied up to trees for punishment and some ove the boys cut them loose and then they had them tryed for mutiny and they are now confined to hard labor with a ball and chain to them it is hard but they is a good day coming i would write more two you but i hope i will see the day when i can tell you all a bout it we are now drawing full rashions and the health ove the boys is good i dont think any ove the boys will get clear of the draft by me reinlisting the boys are all bitter a gainst it for they are beginning to see how it is they is a good may that enlisted in the veterans that would like to be out of it if they could get out of it but dont say any thing to them a bout it. you speak a bout sending / me some things by mail dont do it til leave you know when i want them i supose the next time you hear from me will be from the neighborhood of Knoxville if reports are true as i have nothing ove any importance to write i will close this bad writing taking my love to you all and hoping the draft will come of soon and exempt no one

 

write soon                              

Abram Kipp

 

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