March the 31 1863

Camp on the Tallahatchee

 

My dear and mutch esteemed friend sophia after my love to you I am in the enjoyment of good health at this time and I hope that these few lines will find you in the enjoyment of the same great blessings I received your kind letter a few days ago and was verry glad to hear from you and also that you had embraced religeon throug the atoning merits of our lord and saviour Jesus Christ now then my dear girl I do not want you to do as I have done but for the sake of your soul and the hopes of heaven and a seat at the right hand of god never hang your harp on the willow as I have done but allways keep your lamp trimmed and bright aburning that you may show to the world that you are born of god and on your way to glory the place that the lord has prepaired for those that love and serve him while on this earth the footstool of the almighty who inhabiteth the heavens above and may you live the life of the Christian so that you can sing with the poet all the time come welcom death thou end of fears I am prepaired to go I should be verry glad to be at home to attend some of them meetings that has been in progress this last winter but I can appreciate the good times that you have had now then I will inform you of what we are doing we are camped on the tallahatchee river in the state of mississippi about three miles above fort greenwood whis in possession of the rebels we are planting batterries in order to take the fort from the rebels and I think that we will open the bombardment tomorrow if nothing happens I am agoing out on piquet to knight with the rest of our regiment where we are out on piquet we can see the secesh walking backwards and forwards around the fort we have takeing severel of them prisners since we have been down here and I think that we will get some more before very long or else they will get some of us for are are agoing to try them a whet and if they prove to be to many for us then we will have to knuckle under but if they get us they will have to work for it for we can shoot as fast as they can and I think as far we was out on a scout the other day and we marched about / twenty miles in little more than a half day and you may know that it went pretty hard with us for we are not use to walking. in our travails we captured thirteen prisners we have some fine times here in camp and some verry hard times so to take it all round I think that we fare about as well as if we was at home any more than we are deprived of the society of the young ladyes and those that is near and dear to us we have left fathers and mothers brothers and sisters and sweet harts which we treasure up in our harts I wish I could be with you to knight and have a long talk for I believe that I could talk to you all knight but it can not bee and I can only meditate over the happy time that I can have when I return home I only have eighteen months more to put in and then my time will be out and then I will return home but I hope that this war will come to a close before that time arives there I will have to stop righting for this time for I must get ready to go out on piquet we have to take one days rations in our haversacks for we have to go about two and a half miles from camp pleas right as soon as you get this

 

nothing more at this present time but remain your lover      

E W W Brothers

                                                                                               

To Miss Sophia Rummel

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