January 18^th 1865

Camp of the 101^st O.V.I

            Near Huntsville Alabama

 

Dear Wife tonight I will again write to you I am nearly alone just now I am keeping house Our Regt is out on a scout I will tell you why they are out yesterday Jake Adams went over the mountain in the next cove after some fodder and had but 2 guards and a Lieut along and the rebs tuck them in out of the wet all but Jake he gave them leg bail among the rocks and cedar bushes there were some others along they went on their own hook after hogs and chickens there ware 6 of our Regt along they burnt Jakes waggon and took his 6 mules and the boys and Lieut along / they fired several times at Jake he got in camp at dark our Regt went out about 9 last night Colonel McDonald in Command it was 8 miles from camp where they were ambushed on the mountain Mc has 2 companies of Cavelry along one of our boys came in tonight that went along he gave out and came back they heard of them there is 20 Rebs and have 11 of our men prisoners I fear they wont ketch them I believe they are nothing but citizen bushwackers our Regt is to be goan 3 days they took nothing along but hardtack and salt and coffee the General told them to go for anything they wanted while out I kno they wont spare the folks I expect to see every man loaded when they come back / I pity our boys that were taken if our boys catch them rebs they will kill every devil of them Well Mam I dont git as many letters as I should no one writes but you and I wont forget Mary Boyer for I got one from her and Jef sends some but no one from about Bucyrus well I have been liveing well Fred went 4 miles with some corn to mill so we have meal day before yesterday the team was out after forage at the same place but had 8 or 10 guards along so Jake brought in for our mess one hog and a half so we rendered the lard yesterday and made some sausage I seasoned them with salt pepper and cloves we chopt the meat on a board with 2 sharp hatchets it is bully good and today I got 6 pigfeet and cleand and boiled and have a messpan full of sause /

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