Dec 16 1861 Read this to yore self

           

My Dier brother I again seat myself in order to communicate a fiew lines to you in order to let you know that me and my Dier brother ar enjoying ourselvs well at presant and hoping that this may find you all the same we are at work at our houses. I worked with the boys 4 days a cuting logs the forth day 6 off us cut 800 logs I meashered for them I tell you they kep me a travling to mesher for them it was hard work. boath sids off the hollow was like the hill tother side off the creak from your house. The best off all Sonday morning I was pinted Lut of the guard I went up to mounting of the guard the Sargent Mager said Lut Bell you are Lut off the Guard I asked him iff he had the power to take three Lut out of one C^om at once (S). Three Lut (me) yess (s) what two Lut are they out of yore C^om (s) Demonbrier Hawkersmith and hear I am ser (s) wher are they (s) her is Demonbrier and Hawkersmith is in Dover / guarding of the Prisners (s) that is so you are dismissed Bell. I was glad to hear that. The Colonel went off with the scouts and giv orders no work on sonday after a little Simpson come a long and Capt Barksdail wanted to hall logs Simpson told him he could halve about 10 wagons I heard it I told him to save me 10 also I thought I could make it pay by halling iff it was sonday we haddant bin giting but one to three wagons a day and was halling our logs about three miles so wagons was some thing extray I called for hands to help load would you think that they recollect the Sabberth they did and I only got 9 that wood go me A J Hall A Hall Pinson Kepley A Jackson Elmore F glover C. glover W Hall we went and hall till night and halled a fine chanc of logs so a Monday caim my time to stand as Lut of the guard and to spite the Capt and the lazy boys that wont work to see what sort of a show they would make they all made it up to go as / guard Monday the Sargant came around A J Hall A. Jackson C glover in one mess and in my mess Kepley Pinson and they told the Sergant not to forgit them that they would be redy by Wednesday again so they had no one to work. the boys all like me verry well or the bigest portion of them say so becaus I work and brassbuttons dont make a fool of me they say I halve heard several say that I was am all the officer that they had and wouldant giv me for all the rest of the officers. I shal for ever try to keep on the right side of the solgers D. W. Jackson has got the Measals and is well if he will take cear off hisself James Blackard they think is a taking of them the balanc is all well at presant Henry washed to day. we expect to stay hear our twelve monthe's I cant tell you when I will come home ther is no furlows for us hear I hoap to see you all at the end of my twelve monthes if not sooner Ther was Saturday a portion off men out of / each C^om to go out on a cout to attac the Lincon boat down on the river a bout 15 miles I heared from them that they got in sight of the boat and it got up and traviled to wards the Licon den ther was younion men that carryed the nuse to them that our scout was coming                                   

 

this Dec 17 1861

                        The boys halve all returned back to camp from ther scout in good sperits they wer all proud of ther trip down the river the letter you wrought to me and sent by Hawkersmith was well soaked in whiskey part of it I couldant read on the account of gitting so smered up with the whisky I want you to tell my friends that I am well and if they want to see me to come or to hear from me to wright we dont expect to stay her long their is a talke of our going to Columbus or Boling green or Smithland I dont no what to say a bout it I wish I could see Walter Scot and you all                           

Thomas Bell

SOURCES