Dollensville July ^the 17. 1863

 

Dear Mother

                        I now seat my self to inform you that I ame well and I thank the all wise God for his Cindness towards me Dear Mother we had a Battel the 13 and the Bullets flew thick around me Port Hudson surendred the 8 and we marched thrue P. H. the 9 we got on Board of Boats and sailed down the river to this place this is about haff way betwene Baton Rouge & New Orleans there is a small Fort here there was about 300 men in the Fort and about three or Four weeks ago the Rebs atected the Fort they ware four thousand strong our troops killed and captered over / six hundred well we landed here the 10 the 12 we marched about four miles down the Bayou La Fouche wher there was a considre many Rebels we had every thing to eat that you could mention Potatoes, Cabage, tomatos sweet Potatos onions, chickens Pigs ducks geese Shuger Molasses Corn and every thing that we could wish but we paid for it the next day about sun rise they comenst to shell us but our artillery soon drove them back they got Reanforsed and come on and atect us about two oclock agen and we did not have a very big force so we had orders to fall back Sloley our Regment was in the advance and they had us flanked before we fell back / as they had mounted Infentery this is a afful countery to fite in as there is so meny cornfields and woods that an enemy cane get close up to you before you cane see him. well Mother as I said before we had a Battel with the Rebs 13 there was six killed in our Reg^t 43 wonded 2 Prisiners & 8 missing Dear Mother I was not as much exited as I thought I would be in a battel I come thrue with out a scratch. Vicks burg & Port Hudson is ours and the most of the fiting is done in this State as the Missisippi River is clear & I under stand that Lee army is cut up badley in Penslyvania & I think this Rebelen will soon end Dear mother I do not know how long we / stay here but they we will get Paid before many days I wrote a letter to you the 7 of July but I thought I would write agen I send my Respects to Richard & James and your Self and all my inquring friends no more at presant but Remember your Son

                                                                                    William

 

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