Camp McLernerd. March 28^th 1863

 

                                                                                                Dear Father and Mother

I received your letter of the 15 last night and was glad to hear you was all well I am well and enjoying my self the best I have since I left Cleveland we are still at Mulligans bend how long we will be left here I do not know we received orders the other day to be ready to march at any time we were called on none of us know where we will go wheather to Vicksburg or up the river but we hope we shall be called to go up instead of down the river

 

we have good watter here we are within 10 rods of the river and we bring all the watter we use from the river

 

there is but very few sick in this regiment only one has died since we came here to this camp he had been unwell for some time and the other day he was out walking around and some of the boys see him fall and went to him and he was dead the last three that have died in this regt have died in the same way they opened two of them and found they died with disease of the heart

 

the last I heard of Archer he was almost well when we came to this camp we left him in the Hospital at Youngspoint he had the erisipalus in the head his head was swelled so for about a week that he could not see a thing

 

Herrington is sick yet and I dont believe he will ever get well if they keep him down here much longer Fosket Wheeler and Atkinson are all well Wheeler is on picket today /

 

there is no drill today they give us Saturdays to do our washing and mending I do my own washing and mending and there aint a woman in town can beat me there hase none of my cloths come to mending yet except my pants th only one pair of my socks has come to mending my boots are whole yet and I guess they will last me till my time is out

 

the weather is very warm down here it makes us sweat swet when we are out drilling flowers of all kind are in full bloom rosies have been blowed out for more than a week I cant think of any thing more to write excuse mistaks and oblige

                                                                                                            Newell /

 

Cousin Belle

                        I was glad to hear from you and know you had not forgot me you seem to think I feel a great deel of interest about May Williams you are greatly mistakened I dont care any more about her than I do about any of the rest of the girls I hope her and Frank are as good friends as ever

 

            the other morning Co G was waked up and ordered to be ready to march at 7 oclock with one days raitions and 40 rounds of catriges none of us knew where we was going but we thought there was some fighting to be done we went to the boats and crossed to the other side of the river where there had been some gurillies seen the day before the cavalry 81 in number went on shore but there was nothing to be seen of the rebs they found some cattle which we drove onto the boat you must excuse this short letter this time and I will try and write more the next time write as soon as you get this and oblige

                                                                                                                        Newell

 

[upside down]  give my love to Grandma and keep a share for your self

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