On board Transport Kenton

                                                                                    between Helena and Vicksburg

                                                                                                            Feby 1^st 1864

 

My Dear Fannie

                        You see from the date of this that we are taking an-other trip south but where to I cannot tell. our first landing will be at Vicksburg but where we shall go from there is a matter of speculation. some think we are going to Mobile and some to Texas. I guess we are going somewhere where there is some fighting to be done for the greater part of the 16^th Army Corps is under way for some point.

 

            We have been receiving a large number of recruits lately so that our Regiment is now the largest in the service we number nearly eleven hundred men. so you see it is for the best good of all that we take the field where we can do something. we have got a long and tedious march before us when we leave the transport. we are allowed no transportation each officer and man has to tote his own baggage. so you see we have not much to bother ourselves with. I believe I shall press in a nigger to carry my things /

 

Fannie I waited long and anxiously for a letter from you before we started for I knew that it might be a long time before I should get one after we left Memphis, but nary a letter did I get I guess there must be a nigger in the fence somewhere. Glen hears from Nellie often and she says you write as often as once a week and sometimes twice, but I do not get them. I believe the last one I received was witten the 25^th of December, so there must be four or five back yet. I have written regularly but I presume we shall be so situated now for a few weeks perhaps that it will be impossible to send or receive any mail. so Fannie dear you must not get impatient if you do not hear from me in some time. I have scribbled these few lines in hopes of an opportunity to mail it at Vicksburg. my letter is necessarily short for all my paper is in my valise which is through mistake on one of the other boats so Fannie you must excuse this, it is not a very pleasant place to write here, in the crowd & noise and jar of the boat. but it is better than no place at all. when you write please direct to Memphis until you hear from me again which will be the first opportunity I have. please give my regards to all your people and much love to yourself.

 

                                                                                    Affectionately Yours

                                                                                                            Frank.

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