#7                                                                                                                               

                                                                        Lexington. Ky. april 22^th 1864

 

Dear Sister

                        Our Regament has just got back from a raid through Eastern Kentucky we left hear the 14 inst. at 4 oclock. P. M marched eaghteen miles and camped in a field slep on the ground without tents it rained part of the night puty rough sleeping had plenty to eat that day next morning the 15^th we got up at 4 oclock sadled our horses and marched 16 miles to Mount Stearling arived thare at noon feed our horses and got a little sow belley for our selfs stoped thare an hour and started / for the Mountians marched 16 miles through mud and over mountians camped by the side of a Regament of mounted Infantry from Kentucky sleeped on the ground in an open field puty weat and mudy we exspected to smell pouder that night but did not the 16^th we got up at day light marched about 10 miles feed our horses but had nothing for ourselfs started again and marched 30 miles croost the Cumberland Mountians our company was on picket for the first time we had nothing to eat all day and weat feet had to be up all night without any fire next morning the 17^th we stole six or a dozzen / sheep butchered them with our sabres roasted the meat on the fire eat it like hogs we marched all day 20 miles did not see any thing but rockes and mountians it rained most all day We got within 12 miles Paintsville but was one day to late for the battle that was fout thare. the 18^th we started for Lexington marched all day camped at night in the woods it rained all night we was weat as a drouned rat the 19^th we marched all day arrived within 21 miles of Mount Stearling was on a better road coming back nothing to eat but raw Bacon and corn meal the 20^th we arrived at Mount Stearling / by noon stoped thare and got something good to eat we went in like a hungry niger into a boul of clam soup we marched the rest of the afternoon and camped at Winchester within 20 miles of Lexington the 21^th we sadeled our horses before day light and arrived hear at Lexington at noon put up our horses and laid down like worn out dogs to day we have nothing to do but clean our arms and take care of our horses I think we shal start on another raid before long whare to I cannot tell I think they should let us rest about a week long enough to recruet our horses I will tell you what we went on that march for / thare was about 15 hundred rebels at Paintsville Ky and our Regament was ordered thare to drive them out of the State but thare was two Kentucky Regament ahead of us so they ingaged them before we got thare they took 70 Prisoners two hundred horses &c I have inclosed a peas of news paper which will tel all about it our Regament was one day behind or we would have a pop at them that march was rough on some of the men and horses on the road they droped right down out of our / company we lost one horse and one man our Magor sent the man back to Mount Stearling with a dispatch but we have not hird from him yet they think he was taken by the gurlies that are in the mountians when we left hear we had two days rations and when them run out we han nothing but raw Bacon and what pigs we could find on the road we went into every log shanty we come to and took all the corn meal they had and left the folks to starve or go twenty miles for more it looked heard to take from / such poor folks but hunger took our better feeling from us we would go right into the house and take every thing that we could use and the poor things in the house on their knees beging for us to leave them a little of what they had they will get paid for what we took some time or other but then they would rather have the corn meal than the gold the rebels use them worse than we do what thay get they never pay for Dear Sister I cannot write any more this time I will write again in a few days I hope you will excuse this poor writen / for I have a very poor pen and a bad place to write I had a letter from John just before we left hear for that raid write to me just as soon as you get this and

oblige your Brother

                                    adress

 

                        William J Bartell

                        Co I 11^th Mich Cavalry

                                    Lexington

                                                Ky

 

PS pleas keep this letter for me when I return

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