Brashear City, Camp Reno, April 16^th 1863

 

wall, Frank I dont git no news from the army this morning onley our gunboats took A Rebel steam Boat yesterday and Brot her down last night with, 200, hundred of our men sick & wounded I have not learnt thear names yet tha are on the other side of the Bay tha dont alow no one to cross except A pass from the provost marshel he is the head man hear. further news A sick solgear came down on the steamer he Belongs to generel, I forgot his name. his army and ours come to geather at franklin he met the Rebels on the other side of A River I dont know the name it seems the River comes into this at franklin. well he charge on them and kild 500 hundred the first fire the Rebles run then he follard them oup so clost that the Rebels set fire to the Bridge and Burnt it that hendeard him from taking them all prisnors and then thir generel had to march his army A round A

[upside down between lines]

god damit I am nervous this morning I cant write with out mistakes

 

nother way. he ses our army is folloing them oup on thir side and tha will give them hell Before tha git A grate ways off. capt titus ses we have got 700 hundred Rebel prisnors in one place he ses he dont know how meny in full But it must be A Bout 3000 thousand in all oup to this time this army that goind our army at franklin has got A Bout 20,000 with him his army and the army that started from hear will make clean seepe of it as tha go. I will wait till this arftenoon to git more news /

 

wall Frank how dos you and gerty Bixbey git A long is she well. I think she is consible taler than you are now aint she wall you must hold your head as high as eny of the girles and not have them look down on you hold it so tha will hafter look you squear in the face that all. write me how David Bixbey gits A long and how his health is now and ask him if he has got that lime kill Bilt yet ask him if that wall stands good yet that I Bilt for him. tell him I seen A little of the contry sence I left oxford and some Beings and some human Beings as tha call them hear But I dont know what to call them let them go with out calling a Niger I must go to the depo to see if thear Eny news the stream Boat gest come she Brings A good meny wounded mostley from general grover Division that is the general I could not think of his name general grover started from Baten Rush on the missipey and came Round Buy grand lake with his army to franklin. general wertsil has A bought 25,000 thousand in his command general Emory A Bout the same also general grover A Bout the same numbear witch makes three Divisions and tha can take three difreane Routs tha are now within ten miles of the salt works tha will A-tact it on three sides we shant git mutch news till tha git threw fighting good luck to all Asa Holmes

 

[top margin] this is my fith letter sence the army started to you

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