Camp Carrollton La
Sep 4 1863
Dr sisters I will write A fiew lines as I hav time & donot know when I may hav Another chance to write We will leave this plase tomorrow or next day I supose I expect we will go to Galveston Texas that is the talk now we hav got 20 days rations for the trip they say we will go A round by the gulf on on board of small gulf ships we will be on the salt water 6 or 8 days then march by land we will hav A long old trip of it I supose & be geting further south & further from home
Well I am in for any thing that is good so here gose it I can stand it if the rest can I am hartey as A mule I can stand more rest than most any other one that is my best halt to stand rest we hav had A good time since we hav ben here we will see some thing new all the time if we keep goin on I hav stade in this plase long A nough I hav see all thare is to be seen in New orleans it is getting couler now so it is very pleasant here thare hant very maney sick now in our reg the boys feel first rate /
I got A letter from Ed A fiew days A go he was well I hav not hurd from John for some time nor from any of you I dont see what is the reson I keep writeing whather I get letters or not I sent you girls A ha[?] some time A go but I hav not hurd whather you had got them yet or not I had A fine presant gave to me to day my Captain gave me his sword that he carried through all the battels that the reg has ben in our Co mad A presant of A sword to him A new one & he gave me his old one I am goin to express it home to Wis I think it is quite A presant I hav ben actin ordley part the time & if thing goes on as I think they will I think thare will be A C Gardley the other boys got thare corporal promotion first but they cant rank with me yet well I rank nearly as strong as A pole cat you know that is prety strong I supose Wes think he ranks stronger than I do I expect he does like A skunk or some thing like it well I hav gust A nough for this time the folks are well in Wis & Ill it is geting dark so I will stop for to night so
good night Het & Es. I wil talk to you in the
morning before breakfast
I will scrach down A fiew lines more & stop we wont go A way before tomorrow then we will start for Texas I supose we got mail this morning but none for me / I will hav to stop writeing A while & see if I can get some by waiting thare is no fun for me to write & get no letters now you think that thare is no news thare that you could write to me but I could think of A pile of news if I was thare you think because you dont know any news war news that you dont know any thing to write I dont want to know any more I know A nough A bout war I want some Local news I will stop my blaney now I think this war will soon be done with we want to fleece them once or twice more then they will hav to cave thare was A very suden death in the Reg this morning A lieu was taken sick & onley lieved A bout 8 hours I do not know what was the mater of him I will stop now
I skiped one side of this sheet in A mistake
Direct Cairo Ill Co K 11 Wis
via Cairo Ill write soon
Yours truly C. S. Gilbert
To Harriet & Esther Gilbert
write soon CSGilbert C.S.Gilbert