Knoxville Tenn Nov 8 1863

           

My dear Brother Charles

                        I received your kind and welcome letter of the 4^th last month with Fathers of the 11^th on the 30^th and was happy to hear from you. I received it the 2^nd day after we arrived here I had just written one and sent it when I received it. I also received another letter from Father on Mon the 2^nd. I am well and hope this will find you the same

 

We have been having fine weather but to day is quite cool. flowers are in bloom yet in the gardens. I wrote that we expected to move to the front but the prospects now are that we shall / stop here for the winter. We have been at work putting our houses in trim for cold weather. Ed and I have built our tent up with logs plastering the cracks with mud and have built a fireplace and bed so that it is quite comfortable I do not think there will be much more fighting in this part this winter. I understand that Gen Grant has command of the whole of this department. There has been some skirmishing within a few miles of here We have rumors of a fight above at Greenville The Rebs getting the better of our forces the first day but were driven the second day Four reg'ts were sent by rail up from near London to reinforce our men but when they / got here word was sent that they were not needed and they were unloaded off of the cars and are now in town and will I presume go back to morrow. Our boys are fixing up as though we were to stop here for some time. We have never been on such short rations as at the present time. We have ¼ rations of every thing but bread and meat but workmen are at work reparing the rail road to Nashville and if we stop here this winter we shall perhaps fare better when it is finished. It is rumored among the boys in camp that we are to be home ordered home. It is said that Col Harriman and others are using their influence in that direction to take the place of the 5^th The boys would be very glad to spend the winter / in N.H. what times we would have. Were we to go home the way we came here, we would have some 200 miles to foot it to Nickolassville. I am very sorry that Eddie is so low but glad that he is better. Everything is very high at Knoxville butter 60 to 75 cts potatoes $5.00 a bu flour $12. a bbl $50 in confederate scrip before our forces came here coffee $1.50 $6 in confederate sugar .50 cts. This was a pretty smart place before the war broke out the eastern Tenn and Va rail road runs through here. Government has possession of the workshops here and they are in operation. There is considerable rolling stock here on the road Forage is quite scarce. Father spoke of sending out boots by Lieut Clark He need not send them unless he knows of some one that is coming out soon, as / I have put in a requisition for a pr and also for a pr of shoes so to be sure to get one or the other. I should not care about asking any one to bring out such a bulky article as those. Father also said he had sent money to Mr Bartlett to purchase a knife and handkerchief to send by Lieut Clark. I am afraid it will be a long time before he will be back to the Reg't as Ed received a letter the other day from him and he did not think he should be with us before december He had been to Portsmouth Va with a lot of conscripts and substitutes for the 10^th and 14^th reg'ts And Serg't Bennett received one from him yesterday, he was then on Long Island in Boston Harbor with over 200 men for the / 3d NH on Morriss Island he was to start in a few days to that place with them. If he Father hears of any one from this reg't on their way out before Lieut Clark gets back perhaps it would be well to send out by them if they are trustworthy. I received 5 stamps in the last letter. I am glad Charley that you have got out of the Mill for your sake as I consider it a bad place for any one no doubt you will like the Navy Yard better. I hope you will get your picture taken soon as I would like to see how you look I would like to have the whole family's pictures with me I have three now. but as it is getting dark I will close for the evening

William

 

Knoxville Mon Nov 9, 1863

            I now sit down to finish this It is quite cool this morning. The Officers and men who have been home on furloughs are beginning to make their appearance here Capt Dudley is at home on a leave of absence of 90 days and I hope he will stay there. But I have not much more to write. Tell Albert to write I notice quite an improvement in your writing. Give my love to all the folks and accept a large share yourself. Write again soon from your

                                                                                                           

Brother William

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