On Board Steamer Exchange

                                                                                    Friday Noon Aug 22

 

My Dear Wife

                        Allow me again to commence afew a few lines to you I did not write yesterday for I was sick all day I had a Regular turn of sick headake. I think I never suffered so from heat in my life as since I Got to Cincinnati and since I left there But last night was a little cooler and this morning it has the appearance of Rain and I am feeling prety well I have had no duty to do of any account since I came on Board there are several other officers on Board and they all look beter than I do They all treat me with the greatest Respect and every thing goes off smooth

 

We are now some about one hundred miles below Loueyville and I supose 225 miles below Cincinnati all goes off nicely I supose we shall not Get to Memphis before Monday We have a lot of Soldiers to leave at Columbus Ky and I supose we will Stop at Paducah Ky—

 

I wish I could look home and see how you are geting along I know you are very lonesome I wish I could be there when the draft takes place I want to see them Miserabl Devils tremble in their Boots you must write me all about it I dont know But you will call me foolish But I Bot While I was in Cincinnati I Bot me some things a blouse and pair of pants the Lieut with me intends to Resign if he can & he Bot a hole suit 41 Dollars & we thought if we dident need them we could/sell them and make money on them We Bot them cheap of a man who has allways fournished the 54 with things on Credit if I stay I need them if not I can sell them for more than I gave But I must wate again till I get something more to write Well Cinda it is evening and as I have had a knapp this evening afernoon I am not Sleepy this evening I am to be officer of the day tomorrow and 2 Lieutenants Officer of the Guard and one of them is a first Lieutenant I shall not have much to do However The captain in charge of the men is a very nice man but I feel sorry for him his wife is with him and she is one of these nervous women I guess by his tell she has hesterick fits and the doctors atvised him to take her along he might much better left her at her at home

 

We are now at Evensville Indianna and have passed the places where Morgan was 2 weeks ago which are Onesborough & Henderson Some think we will have trouble before we Reach there but I dont apprehend any trouble You cant think how I would like to get a line from you and hear how you are geting along Well our boat has Just tied up they are afraid to Run in the night the water is so low and so I mus close till another time

 

Saturday 11 AM Well Cinda how do you and my pet come on to day the is a lonesome day to me I am officer of the Day But have nothing to do I have Read till I am tiard and as my mind you now is always at home I mus write to you a while/

 

We are now down to the mouth of the Wabash River Kentucky is on one side and Illinois and Indianna on the other. Some of the Soldiers are doing their weeks washing some playing cards some one thing and some another We shall get to Memphis Some time Monday if we have good luck we had to lay By last night

 

                                                                                                Sunday morning

Well Cinday it is another Sunday morning & is quite pleasant I had a Restless night and do not feel any to well this morning I had the nightmare 3 or 4 times Once I thought Bub had fell off from the house and I thought after he struck I heard no noise and I Jumped of and Jumping waked me up We get along very slow We have to lay By nights the River is so low. Last night we tried to Run and Run into a treatop and Broke down the foremast and laid up We saw a lot of Rebil Cavelry as as we came down yesterday after noon a Gurilla Party but they did not try to molest us

 

            In the night last night a soldier got tiard of liveing and walked overboard that was the last of his soldiering in this world we saw no more of him We supose he must have ben asleep/

 

I shall finish this and send it to you from Kairo at which place we expect to arive some time this after noon by good luck I believe if you was on Board you would be sick of Steamboating at least I am it costs me so like the mischief I should like to be at home a day or so when they begin to draft I fancy I see them tremble in their Boots But I am some like a fellow on board he was crying and said if he ever got home again he would never leave the house so far but what his wife could hear him fart But I can tell you more how things are when I get there I will finish this when I get to Cairo We have ben looking over the Poor fellows affects who fell overboard he had Just finished a letter to send to his folks from Cairo he told them the facilities for cooking was rather limited he had to eat his meat Raw he Belonged in Minesota we sent his letter with his sad account to his friends or will when we get to Cairo you must not get Lonely but do the best you can Kiss my Pet tell him there is a little Kitty on the Boat Black & white and if he was hear he could play with it I hope he is well take good care of him

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