Memphis Mound City

Arkansas January the 27^th 1864

 

Dear Beloved Wife with the greatest of pleasure it is that I can once more enjoy the preasant oportunity of righting you a fiew lines in answer to your kind and mutch welcomed letter whitch I received yesterday evening but I did not get time to right aney until now for I did not get it until late in the evening and yesterday in the afternoon we had to tear up and get redy to march and about dark we was marched to the river and we had / to lay on the landing until untill about one oclock today and then we was put on board the steamer Lady Pike and taken acrost to Arkansas where we shall remain for about to days to cook our rations to take with us and then we are going down the river but where to I cant tell Well Cordelia I did not want to carey mutch clothing with me so I thought I would send my over coat home I sent it in a box that was sent from hear in the care of Jessey Niblick I put your name on a piece of paper and sode it on the coat / and I sent a hat in the same box we all had to draw caps before we start away and I did not want to through it away

 

Well Cordelia I will tell you what I am going to take along I will take to pair of pants one of them on and one in my knapsack and to shirts to pair of drors and to pair of socks and one dress coat and one blous and one pair of shoes and we have had orders to take to pair of shoes or boots so I thought I would take one pair of shoes and one pair of boots and one blanket that is what I will have to carey /

 

Well Cordelia I dont no where I will be the next time that I will right but if I can I will try and right one between hear and vicksburg on the river well I must close buy telling you that I am well and I hope when those fiew lines may find you and them sweet little girls in the enjoyment of good health so nothing more at preasant for I have not time but I still remain your Affectionate Companion                       

Hugh Bay to Cordelia A Bay

and sweet little girls

SOURCES