Arkansas            Mouth of White River

                                                                                  July the 26^th 1864

 

Dear Mother

                        I now hasten to write you a few lines to inform you that we left Vicksburg on the 23^d we got up here yestarday we are going up White River but how far up we are going I cane not tell you at presant Genl Steel is up at little Rock but that is up the White River two hundred miles as we are Engineers I under stand we are going up some whare to build a Fort we have to get on smaller Draft Boats the large draft boats cane not run up White River &c. /

 

in haste I will write to you agen when we get to the end of our gurney enclosed you will find my Photragraph no more at presant My Respects to all from your Son

 

                                                                        W^m M Bell

                                                            Co. E 161^st Regt NY Vol

                                                                        Vicksburg Miss

 

(Via Cairo)

 

PS I forgot to tell you that I got your letter of July the 4^th in 9 days

                                                                                                            W B

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