Camp 2^nd Me Cav

                                                                                                Barrancas Florida Mar 21^st 65

 

Friend John

                        I received the “2^nd Epistle of John” yesterday although it was a month old but just as good as new. I see that you have been paying me for not answering your letter sooner, but I suppose I deserved it. You say that you supposed I had forgotten you. you need not be afraid of that as long as my mind is sound, for I could not forget the gay old times we have had to gether. Our old set of four is scattered to the four winds. I wonder if we shall all get together. we may although I think it is doubtful. I think Ray has got served the worst of any us, although I have been the longest in the service, but am yet / sound in mind limb and fizzle and hope George is, and know devilish well that you are.

 

            You say that you are afraid I was little homesick, no fear of that, for I never enjoyed myself better than I have since I came into this regiment. I just enjoyed myself while I was in New Orleans, and would here if they would only pay us of for we have not been paid of now for nearly 7 months. I told Horace what you wrote and will put him up to write you. he laughed when I told him for you to KP.

 

            You may expect to hear of some hard fighting out here before long for all the forces that were here a short time since have all left, and you may hear of some tough work before Mobile, for I suppose that is there destination, & I think the rebs will hotly dispute / with them for the possession of the city, which is one of the fairest in the southern states. only part of our Regiment left with the expedition, for we only had horses enough to mount about 200 men. but I believe the old Col expects horses from New Orleans shortly, and if we get them we shall probally follow on after them. I don’t know as I care much about going if it were not for the chance of forageing and the excitement. it seems kind of tough to leave such comfortable quarters as we have got here and take the field.

 

            Oh! I must tell you of a little scout that I was in a short time which resulted bad for two Co’s of the 9^th Alabama Cav. Our ‘Lieut Col’ “who is death on all rebels within a hundred miles of here” heard that there was a Detachment of the reb Cav. about 50 miles from here up the bay, and / with about 200 men after them we sourrounded their camp about daylight and give them a volley and charged on them. I never saw men so scared as they were when we demanded them to surrender. we got one fellow that jumped out of bed naked and brought up standing before a Yank. they thought, we dropped out of clouds we came on them so sudden we got 3/4 of them. the rest of them ran into the swamp where the devil could not find them but our Col was satisfied with the result and that was all we cared about but I will not write any more now for it is dinner time, & my belly says there is a vacancy in it which must be filled with out longer delay.

                                                                                                                                    Yours

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