April 24^th 1863

Murfreesboro Tennisse

 

            Dear Family again I will write a few lines to you I have not writen for a week and have not got one from you we are still campt here but we are under marching orders now and have been for 3 days we have to keep 3 days rashions ready on hand we have been on picket duty most of the time of late we were out near a place called Salem our brigade was all out we were there 5 days and yesterday we came in from a 24 hour picket we were on picket 7 days out of 9

 

well I am still harty and well except a slight cold I caught on picket it rained the first day and night we were out and I got wet and lying on the wet ground at night and cool nights and no fire / it gave me a slight cold but the weather is warm and nice now and verry warm in the middle of the day I dont kno hardly what to write if I could see you I could talk enough for a dozen to hear but as that cant be at present I must content with paper and ink I am sorry to say Wil Williams is sick he took sick out on our 5 day picket and was sent to camp he was in the Hospital tent when we came back then they sent him away to the Convalesent Camp now I cant tell anything about him him and I were all the sergeants in our company now I have more than I like to do we soldiers are verry lazy I have to call roal form the company draw rashions detail gard and make out the repoarts it takes half my time and if a soldier works half of his / time he complains we are like fat pigs we get lazy well mam I have the promise of a chance tomorrow morning to get my picture taken if we are here yet it is so throng one has to get his ticket 1 or 2 days ahead I believe I will not finish this now perhaps I may have more to write in the afternoon I cant write only by chances for every few minutes I get an order for something to see too I dont like the business of orderly Sergeant especily when I dont get the pay

 

wel I just heard from Will Williams the boys say he is verry bad and think he will stand a poor chance of recovery he is well cared for but he is verry sick he has the fever the boys tod me yesterday they fetched one there the Warden went to the Ambulance to get his name and he was dead the doctors wont send any / away from the Regiment until they think they will die is about the way things go here Will was not well when we went out on picket but he must go and lay out in the cold rain until he could stand no longer then they sent him back to camp well I am going to try to send you some coffee Fred Kansleider and I in a box together we have half enough now as soon as we can get more ahead if we stay here we can send in about 1 week we will send 10 or 12 pounds half for you and the other to his folks I expect to send my overcoat after while if not I must throw it away I wont carry it this summer it is good yet only dirty—Afternoon—

 

well the male has come and nothing for me I will finish I expected to hear from that 25 Dollars I sent you by this time I would like to have some more stamps if you please send just a few at one time as they may spoil by wet if I have them long write often it takes only 4 days for a letter to come here I got a Journal last week from some one perhaps you

                                                                                                            C Morfoot

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