Grenville, Tenn

Oct 16^th 63

 

Good morning

im well and as fat as a rail i hope you are all well ill begin my Epistle as far back as the 6^th of O^ct as i wrote a letter to mother while i was at Cumberlain gap we stayed there 2 days to rest and then started on our march on the 6^th of O^ct we marched 12 miles from 3^oc PM

 

our C^o was rear guard and we did not get started untill 3 PM and we marched on untill night and then were 5 mi behind the Regt we had come over 12 mi and it was a raining at that so 3 of us just crept out into a fence corner and stayed untill morning / and got up before daylight and started to cetch up with the regt so we could get something to eat but then we came up to where they had camped they had been gon over 2 hours and there we was with only a cracker to eat untill we could catch up so we eat all that we had and kep on our way it began to rain about 9^oc and the road was verry slipperry and the regt was on a forced march and us 5 mi behind and nothing to eat i began to think soldering was not what it was cracked up to be we would stop at evry house but nothing could we get to eat atall at last we came to the Clinch Mts about 2^oc PM and it was still a raining awfull hard but we got over it at last and we then came to a pretty good looking / house and the boys sayed they were agoing to have something or fight for it they were but 2 besids myself so they said that if i would go before that they would back me so i asked the man if he had anthing for hungry soldiers to eat he said he was just out {like they would all say} so i told the old traitor that we would see if he had anything and we walked right into his house and looked into evry thing that he had and found all of 2 little rye biskits but we was not long eating them but they did not do us much good but when a fellow is hungry he can eat most anything atall Wel after marching 25 mi we caught up with the Regt / you had better believe i was so glad to get some hard tack and coffee I thought i had been hungry at home but I guess I was somewhat hungry that night the nex morning we drawed our grub for 4 days which was 4 crackers but fo 1 each day but then we had as much fresh beef and coffee as we wanted and thats more than you have at home i expect but they did not march so far that day some of the boys eat nearly all there crackers up the first day and then they would have to do without all the rest of the time but as for me i just got along bully through the mud we only come 10 mi and went into camp near Morris town now look on the other sheet for the rest /

 

{VOL. 2}

here we stayed untill the next day when we took up our line of march again and marched on till we reached this place which we came to last sunday I believe this is Friday. this has been a verry nice town before the wore but the rebs have occupied it the most of the time but we soon mad them skedaddle there was a battle a few miles from this town but our Brigade did not come up in time / to se the fun but we could here the guns plane enough we came across the battle field the next day I heard there was a 100 of our men killed and wounded in the fight but the next morning the Rebs had gone like they allways do.

 

this is the town that Andrew Jonson lives in when at home but he is not here now

 

our C^o is a doing Provost guard here if w

 

we have moved into a great big 3 storied brick hotel that the rebs had used for a hospitle we just live bully in here stand guard evry other day but that aint hard for we have a house to sleep in and then do what we please the rest of the time for Capt. Mull / is just the best man or Capt in the whole Brigade Wel Bill M^cCallaster has got diner ready and i must go down stairs and eat.

 

Wel now i resume my seat to finish my scribling i feel just as well satisfied as if i had been eating a big roasted turkey i have got me some tobacco now smoking tobacco costs $1,00 a pound thats pretty dear for a soldier I expect that tobe just livs on good cigars id like to have a few id like to know what the butternuts are a doing in old Park some of the boys sweare that if they get back that they will kill evry one of them they say that they did not march from Nicklasville Ky to here Greenvill Tenn for (nearly 25 mi) / nothing just to think that them infernal Copperheads stay at home and live fat and us union boys have to march through the mud for them its enough to make any boddy mad I received yore letter while at indinapolis and have not received any since then but then i am not a bit home sick atall I'm not sorry that i came to the army i believe it was my duty to come and if i die or get kill it will be for my country but i have been as well here in the army as i ever was at home I havent had any thing like a chill the boys are all well that you know but Jim Daniels who is at the hospitle at knokville steward Cumin caried his knapsack all the way through if any boddy inquiers about me tel them that i'm all right nomore at this time but remain yore son Bart Dooley

 

to S S Dooley              Bethany

                                                Parke C^o

B W Dooley                                        Ind

C^o B, 115 Regt

I V M

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