May the 24^th/64

                                    Kind Friend

                       

                                    It is with difficulty I address you at this time I have but little time to write and if I scrible this sheet full you will not blame me will you. I wrote you At Grand E Core At Alexandria and I do not know as you received eather of them but I am cirtain the last one you did not get for the Rebs got it prehaps you have heard before this that the Rebs cut off our retreat at from Alexandria sunk two gun Boats three transports and captured our mail up & down. the last letter wrote was in reply too yours March 27^th. I will asure you I/was much pleased to receive it as I am allways too get a letter from you. (no flattery) the difficulty which I labor under at this time is I am at A loss to know what to write I have written so often and troubled your time which you might have spent to a better advantage that I do not wish to be a burthen to you. I know you will be disapointed when you receive this to not find my picture but A in this I shall have to disapoint you as I am in the field Bushwhacking as I have been since March the 15^th and expect to stay hear 8 or 10 days yet. whear we go from here is uncirtain but doubtless we will go to some place whear I can get my picture taken/

 

you must be patient A little longer and I will send it to you. prehaps you will like to hear some of the facts of this campaign in La. I gave you A full account of the two first Battles in my letter at Grand E Core but I will say in this that we was defeated at Sabine Cross Roads our loss in all was about 1,700 men 470 horses 88 waggons 475 or 500 Mules 18 pieces Artilery. the 13^th Corps lost the most we retreated back to Pleasant Hill whear Gen Smith with the 16^th & 17^th Corps was encamped the Rebs followed us and gave us Battle their we held the field and the Rebs retreated leaving about 3,000 killed and wounded on the field. also we captured 4 pieces of artillery from them and 1200 prisoners our loss 935. in the morning/we retreated back to Grand E Core stayed their 8 days the rebs got in the rear of us but we drove them from their possission our loss about 325 the Rebs about the same. all the advantage gained was we got across the Cave River & this Battle is called Cave River Bluff we had no more trouble getting to Alexandria. here we had to stay untill we built a dam across Red River to get the Gun Boats over the falls we succeeded in doing this the 10^th of May the morning of the 12^th we started down the River to drive the Rebs away from its banks. had but little difficulty untill we arrived at St MarksVille here the Rebs made a stand our cavelry drove them two miles on the night of the 15^th the 16^th the whole force moved to a small prairie one mile from the Ville here we opened the ball and our Boys throwed and the Rebs catched untill they give up the game and left the field we marched on untill we arived at the Atchafalaga River. Gen Smith bringing up the rear he encamped three miles from the River. the 19^th the Rebs fired on his camp he did not like it much and got his men in line and give them a good whipping took 3 pieces of Artillery & 500 prisoners killed and wounded 5 or 600 more of them his loss 217. we had no other trouble getting down here on the Banks of the old Miss. River good after noon if this is worth answering please do so. from your true friend S. A Matthews

 

excuse mistakes for I have poor paper poor pen poor ink and in fact I do believe you will think I am a poor corispondant

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