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he was drunk on the field and got so drunk he could not go and some of the nurses of the hospital supposed he was wounded and carried him off the field when they took him up he thought the rebels had him prisoner and says well boys youve got me at last you must treat me well as I was never verry hard on you anyhow and one on c Major Reid we were falling down on our bellies in order to prevent being hit by the balls Reid comes up and says boys dont fall down without orders and he had not more than got the words out of his mouth than the cannon belched and down went Major Reid and forgot to give orders to fall but the boys did not forget to lie down Our regiment will do to bet on I think Colonel Niles went to the / General and wanted to charge the battery with his regiment but could not get permission The rebels will not fight us fairly if they can help it they skulked in the cane and fired on our men that day at Magnolia and took the uniform off our men and dressed themselves in it and would then creep up and shoot at us I see one of them that was dressed in our uniform with bullet hole through his forehead it was said that he was shot by one of our Generals I must stop as we are starting on another march

 

May 14^th I will now proceed to wind up this letter as we are in camp again we do not know how long we will stay here provisions are worth money here now among the soldiers we got four hard crackers to last us two days and had to jahawk what meat we got crackers are worth ten cents apiece we are verry saving of them now the reason that we are short is that / all that comes to us has to be hauled from Grand Gulf and Millikens Bend along distance and the teams are nearly allways behind. Nichols and me generally have plenty as we visit the plantations and get molasses meat and such things as we can find but we will have to quit that as there is an order to arrest all soldiers found out of rank when on the march Gen John A Logan Gen Grant Genl McClenard and several other Gens were there. the place where we are now camped there is at least ahundred thousand dollars worth of cotton baled up and put under the sheds talking about the southern people starving and it is all humbug we generally find plenty of sugar Mollasses meat and other necessaries of life and plenty of salt they have been laying up for this for years Gen Landrum[?] our Brigadier Gen comes to us on the day of the battle and inquired of our Col where he was going Col said down the hill and Gen told him not to go as he passed us he says boys if you want your lives spared you had better / to your old uncle he is verry severe but agood Gen he struck asoldier in Co B across the back three times with his sword because he caught him in asmokehouse after meat that was after the order was issued against breaking ranks I made six dollars and ahalf the other day I went out to aplantation with one the boys and went into the negro quarters of arich planter in [?]low and found a lot of the nicest of silverware I got 2 silver cups bottom of salt cellar and sauce spoon and sold them for six and ahalf I would not have taken twenty dollars for them if I could have sent them home but there was no chance for that and I could not afford to carry them I went with Jake Harris out foraging and went to aplanters and inquired of anegro woman if they had any wine she said yes we told her we must have some of it she told the master he looked verry sullen but we would have it it was the best I ever tasted [paper fold] with the best article of brandy I guess I will now quit I could write aweek but this is long enough for this time I believe we that live will be at home by the first of Jan 1864 I want you to get your daugerrotype taken and send me and I will send you that of yours and Eddys I have broke it but his is not spoiled have it put in astrong case like that old one of mine as those paper cases like that you sent me soon play out write often and do not be uneasy if you do not hear from me often as we are verry often deprived of mail privileges

                        M. E. Drake                                        H. B. Drake

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