March 21^st/63

Camp post woodchopers

4 miles south of Bowling green

                                                                                                                        Dear Sister

I improve the present opportunity to direct a few lines to you it is a good while since I wrote to you I am ashamed to say it but I believe you wrote me last though I have not writen to you I have not forgoten you I have often thought of you and of writing to you but have neglected it from time to time thinking I would have more time so the time has come and so I will write I have been mukeing beetles all day and my arm is lame and cant write very well but excuse me for not writing and for bad writing and I will try to do better in future / but to something else

 

O Sister the horors of war it almost makes my blood run cold at times when I think of it the distruction of man and beast and property the suffering that men and beast has to endure I have been in the service seven months the 13^th of this month I have seen enough if I could get out of it but that is imposible at present as soon as I get my pay I am going to try to buy my discharge I dont know as it can be done but I think it can at least I am going to try as the boy said I have seen the Elaphant but I suppose it is a small one I have not seen a battle yet but dont know how soon I shall but I guess not very soon unless we have an atac here we or our rgt has just been / brigaded the 25^th and 23^d mich and 111 Ohio has lately been brigaded our Col is promoted to Brigadier General for his sake I am glad but for his boys I am sory although we have a very fine man for Lieutenant Col which will be our Colonel but he is no military man our Colonel is a thorough military man I am sory he is going to leave us. we shall probably stay here in this place all summer on picket duty and garding freight trains through to Nashville. two Co posts go to gard trains every day out of the 23 and 25^th the rebels burned a train a short time ago about 8 miles from here loaded with mules since that all trains have to be garded through by a Co of soldiers they have been haveing a skirmish / at mitchelsville michelsville between here and Nashville our troops came off conquerer took a good many prisoners and a good many stand of arms. I would like to get a pop at some of the butternuts I have not had a chance yet I have not seen but very few yet I have garded some prisoners I could have shot some of them just as quick and done it as cooll as though it was a squirel they look so mean I cant bear the sight of them I have been liveing in the woods for the last 40 days detailed by the post quartermaster there was 100 men detailed the 6^th of Feb for 30 days to chop wood I stayed my 11 days was called in the 11^th of march and detailed again on the 12^th back to the same place for 60 days I enjoy myself better here than in any other place since I have been in the army

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