Murfreesboro Tenn
March 30^th 1863

 

Deare Brother and Sister

I received your letter yesturday (Sonday). I was glad to heare from you and that you were well and heartty. I am well at present with the exception of a slight touch of the Rheumatism which has been troubling me for some 4 or 5 days. I was excused from duty to day on account of it Our business now is workeing on the fortifycations. Rosecrans is fortifying this place pretty strongly and iff he gets it completed before there is an attact uppon it I think it will be pretty hard to take. we have only been working 4 hours each day on the fortifycations till this / morning we were ordered to worke 8 hours. I am getting to be quite a paddy and can handle my spad or shovle with the greatest skill and dexterity but sill I cant say that I like the business verry well. There is some talk of the Rebs attackting us here. I dont know how that is we may be and we may not that is hard to tell but I think iff they undertak to take this place they will have a roughf time of it. I do not like the politick of your letter altogeh altogether you seame to think that those who are rebelling against the conscript or draft are doing right. now I think it is right to put down this rebellion and the sooner the better and all / who can leave home should come and assist in putting it down and mantaine the constitution off the United States. there are a great many at home who are not willing to come and asist in crushing out this rebellion but are railing out and saying this is a negro and an abolishionest war and discourageing those from coming who would were it otherwise. now slavery in my oppinion is wrong and a curse but I did not come here for the purpose of assisting in freeing the negro. I came to assist in putting down rebellion and help to mantain and support our constitution and laws and I alsoe think it the duty of evry good citizen so to do, but it is necessary / for some to stay at home and provide for those wo are in the field but they should be carefull about discourageing those who are out, or giving any encouragement to those who are in rebellion against us. now I would be glad to see this war brought to a close as soon as it can be settled in an honorable and wright way, because there is nothing pleasent or desirable about it, but enough of this. The old recruits of this Regt were payed off some little time ago but the new Recruits and drafted men were not. Campbell payed me that hundred dollars. I sent it home the boys in the neighborhood of Campbells alsoe Lieut Campbell mony together in one pack I sent mine in the same pack. Lieut Campbell said that one of the neighbors was wanting to borow some monney and iff I wished to lend it it would be in good hands so I told him to tell W^m Campbell to lend it to him iff the man should not want / the money I wish you to get it and do as you think best with it but the man Campbell spoke of is good for it and iff he wishes it I am willing he should get it. Campbell payed me $20.00 dol besides which he [paper torn off here]

 

I can and She must be a good Girl and after this war is over and the Rebs dont shoot me I will come back and see her and Frank and then we will have a big time, but I expect her and Frank will be so big that I would hardly [paper torn off here]

 

more to add at present but remains your friend and brother direct your letter as you did your last one Excuse my bad wrighting for I have a poor place to wright the way we are situated now we have not much time to wright [paper torn off here]

 

            P S I just got a letter from W^m Campbell he has got that money I sent and that he would keep it till I would wright and let him know what he should do with it. I will wright and tell him to [paper torn off here]

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