Knoxville Tenn Nov 15, 1863

           

"My dear Mother"

                        I received your kind letter of the 29^th on wed the 11^th and now sit down to answer it. I am enjoying good health and trust you are the same I am very sorry that Eddie is so low. I wrote Charles last sunday and monday. We have been having beautifull delightfull weather lately but yesterday were treated with thunder showers and it is cooler to day. The Reg't is quite healthy at the present time. We have logged our houses up in good shape for the winter with fireplaces in them and tables or shelves for our dishes &c. I do not know whether we will be al- / lowed to stop here this winter and enjoy them or not It is now rumored that we are to leave this place and join the Brigade which I fear will be true, as the boys are loth to leave after getting their quarters up in such good shape. We are encamped in a pine grove about ¾ of a mile out of town. Parson Brownlow has got his paper out the first issue last week. There is to be a weekly and tri weekly issue. It is called the "Brownlow's Knoxville Whig" & "Rebel Ventilator". The terms are two dollars a year. The paymaster, that welcome visitant is in town and we are to be paid off soon, we expect to morrow When I get paid it is my intention to subscribe to Bro / wnlow's paper for 6 months and after reading them send them to you. You can judge of the tone of the paper from his speeches. He uses pretty strong language. The shops here are in operation under direction of Uncle Sam. I saw one of the Richmond Locomotives here in the round house. It was manufactured at the Tredegar Locomotive works Richmond by J Anderson & Co. It is a pretty fair looking machine but the boiler is defective and will not bear a great head of steam. You stated in your last that there was quite a number of papers on the road for me. I have not received any since I left London. I do not think it is of much use to send any papers as I understand / there are but few papers brought through over the mountains in the mail owing to their bulk, as the mail matter is brought through on pack mules There was an order read on dress parade the other evening to the effect that tobacco is to be issued to the troops under Burnside's Command at the rate of 3 lbs to every 100 rations it is now issued we have not received ours yet but will probably this week It matters but little to me as I do not use the weed. I believe I will draw to a close for the present and finish after we get paid if that happens to morrow. I intend to draw my whole amount with the allotment here at this payment, as I think I shall want more to use now down in this region to get along comfortably I will now close My love to all from your Son William

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