July the 10^th AD 1863

Fourt Pickering                      

Memphis Tennessee

 

Dear and Beloved Wife with the gratest of pleasure and with Love that is almost to grate to bee expressed buy human tongue that I can have the privilige of once more righting you a fiew lines in order to converse with you through the silent medium of pen ink and paper I received your kind and much welcomed letter yesterday evening and you could not imagin the joy and sadisfaction it gave me to learn hear from you and in it I lerned that you was all well but I am sorey that I have ritten Crid such a letter as what I did but I shall have to right him another and ask him to forgive me for the wrong that I have comitted and I hope you will forgive me also

 

Tell them sweet little girls that Pap would like to see them and that they must bee good children until Pap comes home I was very sorey to lern in your letter that Levi is worse again you stated in your letter that you was discouraged about the war but you must keep in good hart for I think that it will close within 4 or 6 months Vicks Burg is ourn they made an unconditional surender on the 4 of July General Grant took posesion of Vicks burg on the 4 of July at 10 Oclock Our artillery are now cheering for the for of Vicks burg the canons are barking in every direction and when one of our old siege guns here in the fort barks it makes the hole earth shake it would do you good to see and hear it 

 

Well you stated in your letter that you would be one that would help to defend your selves but I hope that will not be needed but I would like to see some of them Coperheads drafted and fetched down here and they would find out how souldiering goes and I dont want you to expose your self out in the hot sun working out as long as you have aney money atol I will send you all that I draw before you shall expose your self and get sick You my Dear Beloved Wife cant can imagin you may amagin the heart felt love and gratitude that I have for you on the present ocasion I would like to see you your are never absent from my mind yet we are out of sight of each other and far apart and there is rivers rolling between us and it is now almost one year since we have been permitted to share each others happiness but I do not believe that this wicked rebelion can last 6 months longer I think the end of it is close at hand O I long to hear that peace is declared and for the time to come when we can return in peace to the Dear loved ones at home

 

the health of the Regiment is not quite as good as what it was some time ago there was one man out of Company E beried today and one in our company buy the name of George Beckner died last night and one in Company I buy the name of John Kisler that is not expected to live / our second Lieutenant Henrey H. Hart has been sick for severel days he is at his brothers in Memphis Cal Hart lives in Memphis he is maried and he got a women that is well off and he is doing very well he is keeping a bourding house. bourding is eight dollars a week the soldiers are all in good hart and lively Port Hudson I think will be ourn in a fiew days and then we will have the Mississippi open clear through the paper is for you to reed it contains some very interesting news and these news we believe to be corect

 

Well I have not got aney thing more to right at present but I will close those fiew lines buy telling you that I still keep well and harty and I hope those fiew ill composed lines may find you all enjoying good health and in good spirits So nothing more at the present

 

But I remain your affectionate and beloved Companion to the one that is nearest my hart My Beloved Wife and dear little girls

 

Right as soon as                                  

You get this

 

Hugh Bay to                                                                       

Cordelia Ann Bay

And sweet Little GIrls     

      

So Good Buy         

                                       

When this you see

Remember me

Excuse all mistakes and bad riting /

 

Well I had closed my letter I just hapened to meet with a young man that belongs to the 11^th Indiana with hoom I had some conversation and I am very sorey to in form you that Henrey Shell was killed at the Battle of Champion hill the young man that told me about him belongs to the same Company and was wounded at the same battle he has the ball in him yet and he is now well I supose he will cary rebel led the balance of his life

Hugh Bay

Cordeliann Bay

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