“Louisville. Ky. Sept. 31.tt. 1862

                                                        “Dear father

 

“I have just reseived your kind letter baring date Sept 6tt and I am verry glad to hear from you I am well at present and I hope that you are also 5 weeks ago we left Hunstvill Ala and we have traveled ever sence we have done with out tents the most of the time we have had plenty to eat and we have starved some when we left Bowlinggreen we lived on the rebels mostly We captured flour plenty of it and rebels too during the Canonnading of Momfordvill We

 

Was on a force march to that place but the rebels had schadaddled and at the midnight low when the sword was sheth and the lipse of the canon had groun cold and all around was still as deth we laid our werry limbs down to rest beside a fence in the edge of the woods to await the rising of a nother sun So morning come at last an bright and clear but all was quiet and still till the news come that General Buels head quarters was in Monfordevill then we moved to town and camped and all night and next morning at 3 O clock we crossed green river we forded it it being about knee deep/

 

We passed over the battle in ground in quick time and on we traveled the next place was Bacon creek their the rebels had burned the bridge and destroyed a train of cars and tore up fact generaly the next place wa Elizabeth & Mulders Hill then west point and lastly her Well sence we hav hade a fine time We hav had plenty to eat and I have bin all over town as you tr know I will do would do to see the wonder of the City I went and went & went & went But I took good care to keep out of the way of the Patrowlers for I did not want to goo

 

            Jail or to fall in the hands of the hands of the Provost gard but I have bin in the service long enought to give them the dodge it is rather hard work to get a pass as about 40 Officers has to Sine it from Captain to Magor General and like an old Soldier I go with out them we now have marching order to move in the morning at 4 O

uncle Natty Grigly is here and Miss Meylar is here and to day Jounor Morton come to our camp to se Fred Boyd he told Col Jones that if he wanted any thing that he could not get here to let him know and he departed mid 3 rousing/cheers yesterd morning General Nelson was shot dedd dead you will hear the particulars before you get this letter I seen Joe Clark and some others that I know in the 80^th Regiment I with wish that you would send me one copy of the Advocate you can send it by mail with a one sent stamp I would like to se my old favorite paper once more Joe said that you wanted me to go to a country where it rained that is my in tention I have the land picked out and the duck that also and I

 

hear from her oftener than I do from home though I would fight the dogs for the crums that fall from your table O that we had a government that we might enjoy the best part of my life with my ____                But it is not this side of the Ohio for it has not rained here the rebellion  i was an infant mother said that she wanted me to drink som cffee for her tell her that I drink enough for the hole familey tell her to drink Milk for me I never get any now when I was away down in dixie I could take a reble cow 2 or 3 of em by the horn and hed and milk her whether would give it down/or not and consequently we had milk and [?] once and a while I did this While the rebels was shooting in to our cars & burning our Bridges

Well I must bring my letter to a close by asking you to write soon

                        So good by for this time

            “W^m. B. Whitney

 

Give my love to all of the childring I have not time to write to all of them separately

 

 

to H S Whitney

            Gentryville      Spencer Co

                                                Ind

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