Paducah Kentuckey

                                                                                                            Camp Paine

                                                                                                                        Sept 15^th 1861

 

Friend, With respect I attempt to write you a few lines informing you of my Travel & sights, &c I left home on Tuesday last for camp. I arrived here on Fryday last. when I arrived at Camp Defiance on Thursday Evening found the men all in good spirits though spoiling for a fuss very few on sick list. the Hospittle almost Emptie. on arrival at this place found more in the hospittle one young man, who has since died with wounds received by a strong secessionist for no other reasons than that of being a true union man. I suppose on tomorrow the man will be shot (which he justly deserves) which I hope to witness. Yesterday a man in this place was condemned to be shot for driving union loveing men out of the state & asserted he would continue the same course. after sentence / he repented the course he had persued & the sentence was countermanded I do not know what will be the result there was some twelve Thousand men at Cairo & about twelve ten at this place. yesterday I was in view of the Paradeing of nine different Reg^t & several of them almost perfect in their drill. the day was most Exciteing the most pleasent day I ever saw on parade in my life. I hope a few such Reg^t will clear the state of every secesh in it. This place was taken possession of by Gen Paine the 6^th & captured about $2500 worth of property besides the railroads & their books & papers which has resulted in the detection of many seceshionists & a perfect stampeed took place the town is almost vacated. it is almost as dull a town as I ever saw but a very beautiful town. now nothing doing but war & preperations for war. I have seen all the boys I forwarded to camp they were in good spirits except their their rough way of cooking which they were not expecting. I have examined in the cooking department thourolough & find it rather dirty / for persons who have seen better days I am now some over four hundred miles from home shall start tomorrow for another camp some seventy five miles off. the next day it is probable I shall go to another. after that I expect to start to meet a squad of men which John Brady will fetch to me. when they arrive it I suppose will be the last men I shall raise unless by a draft which I hope will be the last resort. several places have been taken possession of lately by our troops with great loss to the rebels & I hope the war will soon be brought to a speedy close our Troops are very succesful except at Bulls run & there had won the day if they only knew it. we are expecting an attack here every day The Rebels may attack some other point first we are looking every hour for some two Thousand more men to arrive. when we came we brought 16 pieces of cannon, two of them was 84, two was 64, two was 32 the rest was 18 & 16 lb calibre they look like the weapons of death if set before our enemy they must fall /

 

Our crops are fair corn is good. the wheat along the road was not more than half a crop. corn is very late & will be frost bit which will have a tendency to raise the price the price is very low corn is only 8 cts wheat 4 cts Oats 5 cts beef 2 1/8 pork 2 1/4 Our friends are well when we left & have not heard from there since I was this day two weeks ago among some of our Jersey friends some forty miles from home they were well & about to return home the next day I would like to see some letter from you hope you will write soon. I would be glad to see you out in our western world this fall. Our respects to you all

            farewell                                                                       W^m J Nevins

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