Carren Crow Bayou La. Oct the 19^th 63

 

My Dear Mother

                                    I rec^d your cind letter day before yestardy, dated Sept the 27^th which gave me much Setcesfection to here from you, but I ame sory to here that your health is not very good, also sory to here that Richard health is not very good. thanks be to God my helth is very good and I trust and Pray that he will take care of me and lead me through all dangers and when this wicket war is over return me home safe and sound. Dear Mother I wrote a letter to you the 21^st of Sept. we ware 5 miles from Brashier City when I wrote to you. we are about 90 miles from Brasher we marched from 10 to 14 miles a day when we marched we have ben over a week in this place we expected the Rebs would make a stand 13 miles back from here a place cald Virmillen Bridge but thay / Burned the Bridge and left when our troops came on site. our Bradade was a head, the Batery threw a few shells across the Bayou and they left duble quick we laid some timbers across the Bayou and our Regment was the first to cross we deploid out as Scirmishers and pickets ontill our troops could lay down the Pontoon Bridge. well as we crossed the Bayou first I got all the honey and ho cake sweat potatos chickens corn meal &c. that I wanted what the Rebs left thay left in such a hury that they did not have time to take any of there coking utensels. the Rebs atected our Pickets the 15^th our Cavelery had a smart Scirmish with them we fell in line of Battel and marched out our Baterys opend on them and thay left. the Rebs are mostley all mounted men we have a nuff of troops to cleen every Rebel out of Louisana Part of Grants troops are with us some say that we are going to march thrue to Texas and some say that we are going back to Brashier and that Grants Troops are going thrue to Texas but no doubt but we will go some where. Dear Mother this is a very plesant Country. there is a good deel of Praries and if it was not for the clumps of trees you could see a great wais. we have freshe beef all the time now as the Rebs has got plenty of cattel there is plenty of sweat potatos thrue this part of country and when we come to a pach of them we help our selfs

 

Dear Mother you say that you would like to have me come home on a Furlow I would like to go home and make you a visit very much but I cane not get a furlow now nor any one in this expedition when this is is over with I will try and get one for I want to go home and see you all as bad as you want to see me. Some that got wonded went home on a furlow. Brodrick for one. /

 

I had a letter from Ely Smith the other day he said that Charles Cook was sincless and they did not expect him to live. you must have some pretty cold nites in the North by this time the weathe is a little coole here then it hes ben. we have our Woolen Blankets & our Rubber Blankets with us and Shelter tents. you would call a man Crasy to lay out doars at home in the North but he cane ly comfertible out here on the ground all night there is very hevy dews here at night. no more at presant I will try and write as often as I cane hoping when this reaches you you may be engoying good health for that is the best blessing on Earth any one cane have I send my best respects to Richard also hope that his health may be better when this comes to hand I send my Respects to James McIntyre. Yours very truly           from your Son W^m M. Bell

 

            To his Mother Mary Haslett

            (Direct as usel)

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