September the 18^th 1864

On the bank of the Mississippi

about 75 miles above Cairo

 

Dear Beloved Wife with the greatest of pleasure and mutch respect it is that I can once more enjoy the preasant oportunity of righting you a fiew lines to let you know where we are we are now laying on the bank of the river about 75 miles above Cairo We left Cairo on the 14^th for Sulpher Springs Missouri about 25 miles this side of St Louis the river is very lo and it is very hard for the boats to get along we run onto a sand bar day before yesterday and our regiment all got off and we had to march about 15 miles and we got on the boat / again and rode about 12 miles and then we run onto another bar where we had to get off again and our old boat is doing her best to get over it But I think she will do well if she gets over it atol for she has not more than 2 or 3 feet of water to run in we will have to stay hear until she gets over it and then we will have to march to the next landing whitch is about 9 miles from hear it is rheumored that our old General is agoing to releive General Rosecran at S^t Louis and if so we will stay at some point along the river between Cairo and S^t Louis while General Rosecran takes a comand with his troops in the field the opinion is midling strong that we will get home to vote but I cant say if that way yet / for I dont think that we will get home although we may for aney thing that I no But it dont look that way to me now But if we dont get along farther than we have yet it will take severel days to get up to where we are going Well Cordelia when I comensed this letter I did not get to finish it until we had to start off and we had to march to the next landing whitch was 9 miles and we got on the boat again at about one oclock and run until dark then we had to lay over until this morning this morning we started and run until about 9 oclock and it got so foggy that they could not see to run the boat and we laid their about 3 hours / it is now about 7 oclock and we are within about 35 or 40 miles of S^t Louis we are going to stop at Jefferson Baricks about 12 miles this side of S^t Louis we will get their this evening or sometime in the morning if nothing hapens the boat has just stoped to take on some wood on the Illinois side of the river it will take them about 2 hours to wood up then I dont think that we will have to stop aney more until we get through Well Cordelia I must close buy telling you that I am well and harty and I hope those fiew lines will find you and the children in the enjoyment of good health. so no more at preasant But I still remain your Affectionate Companion

Hugh Bay to

Coredelia A Bay        

 

right soon

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