Lenoir Tenn. Nov. 1^st 1863

 

                        Father & Mother.

                                                            We evacuated the town of Louden last Wednesday the troops commenced leaving the town Tuesday night but all of the troops did not get across the Pontoon till about 10 Oclock Wednesday forenoon. Our Reg. was the one that took up the Pontoon bridge we had got it about half taken up and the planks carried about a mile over behind the hills, and were to work with all of our might to get the remainder of it up before the Rebs. came into the town, and in came about 40 or 50 of them on horseback with a flag of truce. they came with came in that way so that we should not fire on them. after they went off we expected that they would try and stop us from taking up the rest of it but they did not and we got it / all up and on the cars before dark and then went into camp on this side of the river for the night. it rained all day and it was very uncomfutable being out.

 

This place is situated on the Tennessee river about 6 miles father north than the town of Louden, but our pickets go down the river as far as that place Burnsides Head Quarters were on the hill back of our camp till yesterday when he took the cars and went on to Knoxville. The Tennessee river is just over the other side of the hill, and the rebel pickets are on the other side of the river. there is details out of our Brigade that go over there every day to get cattle &cr. We do not draw any salt meat here all fresh. We get 1 loaf of bread a day about as large as a good size biscuit, a spoonfull of / sugar a day and about a spoonfull and a half of coffee and a little piece of fresh meat.

 

Night before last we were called out into line of battle and stoped there about an hour, the rain poured down in torrents, and we were pretty well drenched through before we got into our tents and we had to lay on our arms all night

 

The report here is that Meade and Lee have had a fight and Lee has got a good whipping. we dont get much news down here it takes a good while to get the mail through After I get done writing I am agoing to go out and see if I can find some good fat hogs some where. if I can get a pass from the Major there is a pleanty of them the other side of the river and I dont want / Johnny Reb. to get them all. I have got a letter to write to Henry Monk at camp Dennison and one for Morse of this company, I have all of his letters to write and read for him as he can not write.

 

It takes about a month for a letter to go home and to get an answer to it, and I guess I shall get this Memorandum wrote over by that time and if you will send me another one when you get this letter I will send this one home. Who is agoing to keep school this winter is George Agent. Who have they chose for Gov. I suppose they will have a new one before you get this. The 1^st Division is building winter Quarters at this place but I expect the 2^nd will go Kingston & Knoxville                   Edward

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