Winchester, Tenn. July 20^th 1863

 

Dear Wife and Children I am well and hope you are all the same but I have felt uneasy about you for I have not got any letter for 2 weeks this day I feel badly disapointed every day as I get a pile of mail for the rest of the Company and nothing for me Perhaps they have not ben sent forward I have writen 3 times to you since here I was unwell since here with Diarea but it is stoped and I am all right again we are at our old business again of drilling and picket I have not been on picket since here as I had command of the Company when in camp and only part of our Co went at one time but tomorrow we picket by regiments so I go along the wether is nice but verry warm our men are getting about over there hard march some few are sick yet Man Keis is able to be up some he is verry slim I will tell you my opinion Keis has been sick more than half his time now I dont believe God intends to let as wicked a man enjoy health I believe it is sent on him to humble him for the only way to keep him from cursing and swearing is to make him right sick his friends are not numerous I have got along well with him he never insulted me all the boys are friendly to me altho I have to be prety strict sometimes but I never use authority where I am not obliged too or by order of my superior officers well Dear Family we have chearing news every day from our armys success victory is crowning our efforts and peace must come before long I feel that our stay wont be many months longer keep a cheerful hart these rades of Morgan in Ohio will be for the best it shoes to that they are at their last ditch for supplies and if Ohio and Indiana / lets him get away it is a disgrace on them let them turn out and fight I dont kno of any thing to write about hardly our things is all old to me and the same sun moon and stars here as there many things are diferent the people are some different the men all I see are slim faced and pale the women the same except those mixed with Nigger and that hante few wel we get enough to eat such as it is we cant by any thing from the citizens they would rather by from us Sutlers have but little goods I will tell you what we had for supper one night Fred, Ed, and myself our liveing had been scant no sutler and our supply train not come when sutler came we concluded to have a supper we got a small whitefish cost 40^cts a can peaches a little more than a pint $1.25^cts cakes 50 potatoes and meat we confiscated coffee sugar we had milk we got from a cow it made a bully supper I owe our sutler 4 Dollars now I learn we are to get 4 months pay soon if so I will send most of it for I cant use much here we cant get any thing to by worth half the money asked for it all I want is tobacco paper and envelops them are dear here we have not drew any clothes but shoes yet I am ragged and dirty we have no kettles to wash and a cold water dip is of no account to our creepers that infest our clothes once more. I was clear of them when we left Murfreesboro

 

I will close if you cant write get Jef Sis or George I am lost if I dont get a letter or 2 every week I will send a rebel button I got som from the rebs pants at Liberty Gap no more now Goodby from           D Morfoot

            To E M and Family

 

[upside down] send 2 or 3 stamps if you please again some of mine got spoilt wadeing Elk River on the march

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