Camp Franklin Tenn

                                                                                                                        Apr 17^th 1863

 

Dear Father I take my pen in hand to in form you that I am Well, at present and hoping that when you get this will find you the same. We have pretty weather here Now I am sitting in the Guard tent on regimental Guard it happens that they did Not get to go on picket Guard this time we had a little Battle here the Other day there was three thousand rebles attacked the 40 Ohio regiment out on picket they commenced about three oclock in the evening they fought till pretty Near dark the loss was 147 killed Besides what the rebels haulled away and throwed in a well. our cannon throwed the Shell in to them pretty hot our loss was slight it was 17 killed missing and wounded please

 

                                                                                                            Write Soon Good By/

 

three killed and two wounded the two that was wounded died that Night. the one hundred and fifteen was ordered out in line of Battle a long side of river and stayed there till we received Orders to move a cross the river I saw Seven of the dead rebels a long the pike and three of our men one was an ordely Sergeant the rebs haversacks was filled with corn meal fresh beef tobaco Rice fat pork and other different things they was Awful looking fellows Father I Want you send me some stamps if you please for I cant get any here for the present. I have drawn fifty two dollars I have sent forty of it to you I kept twelve dollars of it back to pay my debts. I have only three dollars left to spend in two months if I had one thousand Dollars here it would Not do me ten dollars worth of Good I have Not had a letter from maryann for a month/

 

Father I want to know if you appointed Pat Fagan my Guardian if you have I dont think it is right for I have took care of my self for eight months and I think I can for eight months longer for I am Near enough a man to know what is wright I think I have sent you money along as I could get a hold of it and that is all that a son could do I have Never been sick a day since ihave been in the service mark gory has been in the hospital for a bout two months Now we have been having a good time of it here the Bugle has just Blowed for Battalion drill But it happens that I have been in Regimental Guard for the present. tell me how the war times is getting a long at home and if there has been any News latly tell Gumwood to write tell Bob to write to

 

[overwritten]   Joseph E Boyd

                        Mr John Boyd/

 

Mother I thought that I would Write you a few lines as I have Nothing to do here we privates have a nice time when I was on picket Guard when we see any sesesh cows we slip into there and milk them if the Nigger wenches comes out we drive them and milk the cows any how when the fellow comes to report us to the officer of the Guard some of the Boys gathers up a gun halls them out wont let them come up and Besides all that a bout day light of morning we go up there to their cow lots and drive them out down to headquarters of the guard and milk our canteens full. well something else I forget to tell you when we get hungry we go in a pig pen we see how many of them will take the oath of olegence all of them that wont take the oath we kill and let them go

 

                                                            Mrs Margaret Boyd

                                                            Joseph E Boyd

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