Company E                 Fort Donelson             Stewart County            Tennessee

                                                                                                December the 15^th 1861

 

Dear Father Mother Brothers and Sisters I now seat myself for the purpose of conversing a few lines with you by way of penmanship I am well at presant hoping that those few lines may find you enjoying the same blessing I have nothing of importance to tell you I would hav rote sooner if I could bu last saturday about twelve oclock wee wer told to get in line in tenn minnets captan sugg told us to get one days rashens twoo blankets apeace and be redy to leave Fort Donelson by three oclock wee wer all ready and a waiting at that time but wee never left untill about sundown wee then bid farwell to the Fort and started wee new not wher dark cam directly wee stoped ate our suppers got in line then the command wase given armes at will route step forward march well wee cep a travling a prety pert step for about twelve long hilly rocky miles about this time the command was given for silence and then wee cep a travling wee new not wher In the ded silence of night not a thing was herd abov a whisper except the sound of hundreds of infantry as they joged a long and the ratling of artilry half past two found us at the grate western furnace about eight teen miles / wary and brokendown thare wee found that we wer going to linton to take a gun boat they gesed that it was five miles to lineporte and that wee were going to cross the river thare so I found that I could go no futher my feet was woore out so Dr Ware T F Wothington and my self soped and staid with a man by the naim of Bird I never slep better in my life morning came directly wee eate breakfast with mr Bird it was the first tim that I had ate at a table sence I left home it was a nice breakfast wee started we started to try to overtake our company but I found that I could not walk so very easy but wee maid out to get about twoo miles futher wee met Dr head he told us that they got thare at day break that the linconites had got a wind of our move ments and left so wee pressed a ox cart and started back wee traveled all day a sunday and got back a bout eight oclock the rest of the boys are a coming I feel verry tired and I am a fraid that I am a going to have a spell of sickness but I hope I wonte tell mr Bagwell that the electtion has not come of yet it is not known when it will the captan and lutenants got to gether yesterday and helt a corcas and agreed among them selves / to try to throw captan Sugg off the track thare is som talk of busting up the regment but I dont know how that will turnout tell mr Bagwell that he must get back puty soon ef he can but ef he is not well to not com back her for ef he dose he wont get away very easy any more I supose that Gineral Tilman seys that that when wee get away from her wee will know it but ef I get sick I am a going to leave this place some how colmans box cam to hand while wee wer out I had to pay fifteen cents to a negro for taking care of it it is geting late and I must quit tell Ritchard highsmith that he must right soon you must do the same give my best love to maugh and the children so no more at presant

                        but       I remain Yours

                                                Untill Death

                                    Wesley H Frey

 

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W H Frey                                                                                Mr T J Frey

Private in captan Sugg Company of Tenn Volenteers                       Clarksvill                                                                                                                                            Tennessee

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