January the 18^th 1862

Camp Jefferson Hart Co Kentucky

 

          Dear Brother I received yours of the 15^th inst and was glad to hear from you all this leaves me well hopeing this may find you the same. The weather has been very changeable here for the last week or two one day it will rain and the next frieze and snow sleet and maybe the next warm and pleasant but I have tried to take care of my self the best I could to guard against taking cold on the acount of such sundden changes. ther is several of the boys sick here now and thirteen went to the hospital at Louisville to day and likely some of them will may be go home. I find that there is more dies with sickness than in the battle field on acount of carelessness /

 

            I wrote a letter to Jess last Sunday stating that we expected an attack on Tuesday: but it was thought it was nothing but a camp story so the boys passed off the time with a great deal of uneasyness afraid it was not so and half way believing it was so for they were throwing up breast works at Green River preparing for any Collision that might befall them. So Sunday Monday passed off and not a word from our Commanding Officers Tuesday Monday night we had a very good sleep unmolested by and Tuesday morning we were ordered to eat our breakfast and get ready for a brigade drill against 8 Oclock. the boys began to smell a rat about this time for they very well knew that it was not weather fit for this kind of work or at least it / was was worse than we had been used to drill and we all thought we were going to see the Elephant So 8 Oclock came on and our prospect look glittering for an engagement. we could see troops from every direction gathering to gether and forming into a line of battle at that time we got the Command to March and we did march, too, over hills rivers and mud holes and stationed ourselves in a line of battle about 3 miles south east of this; at which place we waited impatiently untill 3 Oclock that evening. at this time we got the word from our Gen our General to march and where we were to march to, was unknown to me but I was hopeing that it was a forward one but we moved of coolly and hastily and I soon discovered from the movement of the troops that it was Camp march. so much for this Anticipated battle /

 

I have nothing more at this time to write in particular only if you wold like to have some ink I will send out there for a subscription to be raised! I hope next time you will write more for I am all ways anxious to hear of all the particulars going on out the tell the friend to write if the feel like it. Write soon

 

            Yours truly                  N. Keen

 

                        P. S. Direct your letter

                                    to N Keen Box 1139

                                                Louisville Ky

                                                Care Capt Simonson

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