November the 21^st 1861

Company F

                                                Fort Donelson Stewart County

                                                                                    Tennessee

 

Dear Father Mother Brothers and Sisters

I now seat my self for the purpos of conversing a few lines with you I was dischaged from duty to day I am well hoping thes few lines may find you enjoying the same blessing wee left Clarksvill tusdy night about half past nine oclock aboard of the minatonca and arived at Fort Donelson about three oclock widensday morning wher wee ar now I never slep a wink for thirty six hours after I left hom but I am all right now wee had nine or tenn as drunk men in our company as I over saw monday knight in Clarksvill I am know at Fort Donelson whear I expect wee will Remain for som tim to com from the signs thare is about six hundred infantrymen here know one company of artilery men with all thare equipments one company of cavalry with all of thare qutryments making in all about eight hundred wee have four thirty six pounders cannon in the fortification which commands the river for twoo miles and a half thare is tenn or a dosen other small cannon planted in diferant directions that I have seen the timber for half a mile round her / is ruind forever being cut down to prevent an atact from any direction imposable only by vastly superior numbers I hardly think this place will be atacted very soon thar was a small battle down at canton last monday betwixt cavelry and a lincon gun boat some cavelry which left this place and a lincon gun boat our boys planted som cannon and left them in the care of a bout forty men and then placed abou seven hundred cavelry in the rear the boat then came up and detached a hundred and thirty men to capture the cannon but they mist it thare was about all killed woonded and taken prisnors they sunk the boat and so ended the fight wee fixt up our messes yesterday morning drawed our cutryments which was very scant they onley alowed twoo camp cetels to fifteen men five pans one oven one ax twoo picks and twoo shovels the mess made up a fony pass and sent a man to dover and got tree coffy pots a coffy mill one cup apeace one baker and som pans to eat out of one knife and twoo buckets I am in tom Malrys mess thare is three negros in our mess that is a going to do all the cooking and washing wee have a plenty bacon flower coffee sugar rice vinegar salt and soap I think wee can live verry well ef the linconites woud let us a lone / it is given up by all the rest of the companys that wee are the finest company in the regament wee have got the finest tents that I ever saw I am in mess nomber one being the most genteel mess in the company the names are tom malery Bagwell Gaines orderly powers corporal Flowers F Noolkington Jonson Gill Morison Carney Dick Pots Trice Adams and myself last knight about half past Eight the roll was called the drum taped and lights ordered out and then wee all went to bed Just about the tim we all got still thare was three signal gunes fired down a mongst the artilery the drum was taped for us to get in line of battle you never herd tell of scerd men before every thing was in confusion and in about five minuets wee were in line of battle redy for a fight drawed five rounds of amunition loded our gunes redy for a fight but the linconits come nary tim so I must bring my letter to a close and eat diner give my best respects to all the girls I remain yours forever

right soon and give me all the newes

 

                                                                                    So Good By

                                                Wesley H Frey

 

[envelope]

from W H Fry a volenteer in

                                    Capt Suggs Company

 

            Mr T J Frey sq

                        Clarksville

                                    Tenn

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