Head Quarters 161^st N.Y. Vol

Jan 12^th 1864

 

            Dear Brother

                                    I received your letter in due time and was glad to learn that you wer all well. I am as well as useule. as I had wrote you a letter a few days before I received yours so I thought I would wait a few days. We left White river on the 8^th at noon on the steamer John H Dickey. it was some rainey but we got a long very well untill after we left Vicksburg. we was runing at the rate of 15 or 20 miles an hour when we met the John Rein coming up and they had a Collision. it took most all the side of off the Dickey above the hull. the Rein was light so her guard went above and laped on the Dickey. it took a way the wheel and smashed the engine and sutch a hurling I never saw before 

 

after the rain had gon through us and they found we was not going to sink they came back along side and we got of on her there was some that jumped in the river and swam ashore. there was but 4 reported lost and some 20 wounded more or less one that died right a way and one that they thought would not live to go to New Orleans Geo S Printess was wounded quite bad he had to have his three big fingers on his left hand taken off he has gone to N.O. hospital Angelo was brused rather bad but he is here but some sore his left hand is brused some & after they hiched on us then they went to shore and tied up the offisers lost most all there horses we found the [?] that night mired in the mud but got her out all right in the morning we unload on the rain everything and left the reck with a boat that was going up to Vicksburg and we came on down here and landed about dark on the 11^th and was all glad to get on teraferma again they took all the sick and wounded to New Orleans. We exspected to go to / mobile when we came here but they say that the exspidision is broken up so I think we will go up the river again soon but I dont know but hope we will for I dont lik it down here. Nor I dont lik to ride on the river eney more allthough I was lucky and got of with a hull head and all my things but haversack gun & straps. but I have got a gun

 

Jim McConnell and I had spread our blankets on the wood rack along side the arch alittle back of Geo Prentiss but we hapened to see the boat was coming in ours and jumped off next the boilers so we did not get hurt much but badly scared

 

the Boys all seam to be in good spirets now. it is warm and pleasent down here daytimes but rather cool nights. I suppose it is coald up there boath night and day still I dont sppose you feal the cold nights much. well how does you and Iasiah get along and all the rest of the folks write and let me know wherther you have sent me eney thing in a box with eney / of the folks and let me know wether you have sold out or not I hear that every body up there are seling out and now I suppose you are counted in with them every bodys.

 

                        Pleas excuse Bad writing

                        for I have to write in a pupttent

                                    Give my love to your wife

                                                write son

                                                                        Wilson Nevyus

                                                                        Co A 161^{st regt} NYV

                                                                        Cairo Illinois

SOURCES