Vicksburg            Miss

                                                                                                            March 6^th 1864

 

My Dear Fannie

                                    Well here we are again in Vicksburg after a very hard campaign of nearley five weeks, during which time we have marched over four hundred miles and tore up and ruined over thirty miles of Rail Road track. We went on board transports at Memphis on the first of Feby as I have already written you. as soon as we arrived at Vicksburg, the army was immediately organized and we started on our march for Meridian which is near the Alabama line. there was nothing of importance occurred on our march until we neared Jackson, where the enemy finally made a stand, but after a brisk little fight were compelled to retreat leaving in our possession one splendid brass Field piece of English manufuctor. the enemys loss in and about Jackson according to their own statements was two hundred men, while ours probably would not exceed fifty men. from Jackson through to Meridean we skirmished all the way, the enemy falling back as we advanced. we cut the army of Genl Polk into so that part of it skedaddled north and part / south. we finally reached Meridean where we had another sharp little brush with the enemy who was whipped and ran away as usual. we found that the Rebs had made great preperations at Meridean they had built a quite a number of buildings for hospitals which we burned in fact we burned the whole town and destroyed about thirty miles of Rail Road beside some twenty or thirty Engines and lots of cars. the expedition was so unexpected that the enemy were perfectly panic stricken. I believe if we could only had a plenty of rations we could have marched through to Charleston. but our rations gave out and we had to subsist on the country. some of the time we had to limit ourselves to about half a pint of corn meal per day. we could generally confiscate meat enough but we could not live on that alone. but there was no murmering or complaint the brave fellows were willing to undergo all manner of hardships if by so doing they could benefit our cause any. we accomplished all that heart could wish on this expedition. Genl Sherman issued a congratulatory order to his army saying our expedition was second to none excepting the siege of Vicksburg. but I presume I have written enough on this point for this time I will tell you the rest when I see you next. /

 

Fannie I would give my old hat and go without one for a week if you could just take a peep at us to-day. we are encamped about one mile from the City on a high bluff. the country for two or three miles around us (in the rear of the City) is the most broken and uneven place in the world. as far as the eye can reach there is nothing but high bluffs and deep and dark ravines. on the top of almost every bluff is a strong fort generally bristling with cannon and bayonetts. we have no tents of any description but I am living in a palace which I built myself. There is a cane brake in the ravine beneath us and I cut a lot of them and stuck them in the ground and twisted their tops together so that it forms a beatiful bower. I have spread a blanket over the top to protect me from the sun (as it is very warme here now) and beneath on a luxurious couch made by spreading two or three blankets on the ground reclines your humble servant Frank surrounded by your last letters, two or three old papers an old Clothes brush, a spy glass, an empty bottle, my sword, two or three pieces of soap and several other things to numerous to mention all scattered in glorious confusion over my bed so Fannie dear if your imaginative powers is good you can picture to yourself how comfortably we are situated.

 

            We are very busy preparing for an / -other expedition, but where we are going as usual is kept a secret from us. I dont much care where we go if I am only as tough and well as I am now. on our last expedition I wore my feet off almost to my knees, but if we stay here a few days longer I suppose they will grow on agane so that I will be all right for an-other four hundred miles. it is generally supposed that we are going to New Orleans or up Red River one of the two. time will tell. it is a shure thing that they intend to send us some where. Fannie I received three letters from you yesterday the last was written the first of Feby you can imagine the pleasure I had in reading them it almost seemed that I could see you here sitting with me. if we go to Texas any where near where your brother is I will shurely try and find him. has your cousin from Ill made you that visit yet. you wrote me that you expected her this summer. I should like to just step in and spend the evening with you I could ask more questions and tell you more than I could write in all day. but my sheet is nearley filled and I must close, so with half a dozen kisses I will bid you good by. please give my best regards to all and believe me as ever yours                                                                                      Frank

 

I have not yet heard from home but hope to get a letter in a few days

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