Bridgeport, Alabama

Oct. 16—1863.

 

My Dear Wife—

                                    I wrote to you from Louisville about two weeks ago, and have not yet received any answer I would like very much to hear from you oftener; and as soon as you receive this, it would be best to answer it immediately; for if you miss a mail, we may be gone from here by the time it gets here, and I might not get it for a great while.

 

            We arrived here on the 2^d and since that time have done a great deal of guard and fatigue duty. Something or other has to be done all the time; and as Colonel Fox is in command here now, he has his own regiment at work / nearly every day.

 

            It commenced raining last Monday night at 9 oclock and rained till yesterday evening, with scarcely a half hour's cessation during the whole time, except about three hours yesterday morning.

 

While we were at Louisville we had to turn over our tents to the Quartermaster there, and since that time, up till last night we have done without them, so you see we got a taste of the big rain. We can say truly that we have had a pretty good chow of real soldier life lately. For about a week we have been living on half rations. This was in consequence of the Railroad being torn up between here and Nashville. But we now have full rations again, and have got some tents again, so that we will fare much better for the time / being. But while our lot has been hard of late, I am truly thankful that the Lord has blessed me with reasonable good health, for I do know that it is through His divine mercy that I have been led thus far through danger and privation, and hardships.

 

            There is some where about twenty thousand troops here now, and it is said that the 16^th Army Corps is coming. It is the one our regiment belonged to while in Grants Department; and if it does come we will be likely to be attached to it again.

 

            Our Camp is situated high and dry on a bluff about one hundred and fifty or two hundred feet above the river. We can look away off to the east and see Look-out mountain, 28 miles away, where a portion of / Bragg's army is. Gen Rosecrans army is at Chatanooga, two miles from Lookout Mountain. The two armies seem to be waiting for the time to arrive for them to go to fighting again.

 

            I received a letter from Brother Harrison on the 14^th

 

            Tell me all about the crop, and dont forget to attend to the colt this fall. You must take courage, and all do the best you can in my absence. The war may not last much longer, and we must be willing to sacrifice a great deal comfort for such a good cause. Under all circumstances we must not forget the Giver of all good, but learn to love Him more and serve Him better, so that whatever our earthly lot may be, we will always be sustained by divine grace. Give all the friends and acquaintances my love and well wishes.                                                                         Ed Hickman

 

Direct to Nashville, Tenn

 

                                    To follow

SOURCES