No. 6.                                                                                                             

Youngs Point

Near Vicksburg, Apr 23, /63

 

Dear Mollie,

Your letter of the 12 came to hand to day, that paper & envelopes also. I was glad to get your letter, but it brought me sad news, that of Dows death, but I think it must be a mistake. I got a letter from him about four weeks ago & he said he was geting along as well as could be expected. I will send you his letter & I want you to keep it. you spoke in your letter about Mothers thinking hard of you. I dont see eny thing very bad in her letter. you no that mother has seen / a greateal of trouble & she thinks a greateal of her children, proberbly more of me than she does of the rest. I know she must feel very bad about my being down her, where there has thousands died, & she thinks she will never see me again, but I dont think so I think that I will see her in less than one year. I begin to think that this year will close the war. I think that vixburg will fall within three weeks. there are thousands of troops below now & thousands more going. I dont no if our brigade is going or not. it is out on an expedition now & I understand is coming back to morrow. they will leave one / brigade here & I think it will be ours. they will leave a gard here. they intend to cross the river at warrington, about 10 miles below Vixburg. they intend to cut of their retreat & suplies. if we are successful in that they are gone up.

 

now I will tell you something about our transports runing the blockade. the night of the 22, 8 of our transports loaded with amunition & provition ran the blockade, over 500 shots were fiered at them. they all went throu safe except the one, she had the whole hindend shot off. she floated down & the cargo was saved, only 2 men were killed. I should think the rebs would begin to think their blockade of but litle use. we now / have 10 transports below & 8 gun boats, so you can see they intend to do something before long. you spoke about that money. I think you have made very good use of it. I expected to hear from the 20 dollars I expressed from here, but it seams you had not got it when you wrote the 12. that peace of cloth you sent me I think will make a nice dress. you spoke in your letter about our taking charleston. in your last letter you say it is a mistake & so it is. we have been defeated & badly whiped. if we should be defeated at vixburg it would give us a hard blow & would keep us in the service much longer. you spoke about Dons paying intrest he did not

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