On Board The Steamer "Nebraska" On the father of grate waters between Natchez & Morganza. this morning the 4 day of sept finds me well we struck camp yesterday evening at 4 o clk & went on borde & this morning at 5 o clk the fleet started consisting of 9 or 10 steamers into the river our horses are all well cared for & I have got a good place to sleep but our rations are short as our mess did not bring enough of meat or rather we put it in a box with our cooking utensils & the box is on another boat so we shall have to do or act catholic a few days til we draw anyhow & that is 3 days Good by to old Morganza oh how I love the plase we stade thare longer than any other plase except Shawnee & many scouts have I taken and many pickets have I stood & I am beter acquainted around thare than I am at home as regards the contry as to the pepal of corse I do not know them by name yet I am acquainted with a good many of them I supose we are going to the mouth of the White River about 500 milds up the river I do not know exactly whare it is tho it is between Vicksburg & Memphis somewhere I expect we will go from thare to Little Rock Ark but that is gess work & all I can say now is that we are geting along up the river tolerble fast now I do not know where I will mail this tho til we stop I hope you will be composed & if we should go on an expedition towards Texas you must retain all your hopes still for the dangers of a soldier is as grate one plase as an other & now we are looking to be fierd in to & a man could be kild just as easy here as in Texas I beleave an expedition will go to Swervesport this fall but whether we will go or not is not for me to say but I thinks we will You may expect "stiring news from Ark" shortly Hurrah for Canby this time So now I close hoping to have good luck this fall & hoping that this may find you all well I shall write when I get off the boat You may direct to me as before only omitting the Brig as the 3rd Brig is torn up M A Hooker Co A 87 Ill Mtd Inft Cavelry Division Dept of Gulf I am yours truly M A Hooker Co A 87 Ill Vol written on bord the steamer Nebraska sept the 4th 1864 to Elizabeth Jane Hooker [separate sheet in the original] Still on board the steamer Nebraska youngs point sept the 6th 1864 wel Lizzie we are stil travling up the river we stopt a while at Natchez but shoved out at 8 o clk & run all night & all day yesterday & got to Vicksburg at 4 P.M. thare we stopt for the night & we was aloud to go ashore for a while to limber or joints alitle Vicksburg is the same old ruged place & aperd to be in a dull state what a change in the last twelve months when thousands on thousands of troops crowded this place when we left 14 months ago the roar of the canon was constant now all is stil as deth how solum but stop here we are passing youngs point whare we not to camp the place is desolate nothing going on now to disturb the sleeping thousands of our dead that is departed thare yes some of Co A is bured out thare in the bank of this maks us think how scaterd are the few dead of Co A 87 Ils some at Willsons Hill New orleans Vicksburg & Jackson & here at this place Memphis and other places these are serious thoughts to yor corespondent I supose we are to stop at white river 200 milds futher up we have now past around the bend & Vicksburg is no more I hope to vs during this war while I write we are runing like all fog the boys are all scaterd over the boat Captain Anderson is laying beside me reading in a news paper & cursing the copper heads of Ohio & other Notes = I supose he wil go home when we stop again I like the Captain well anough as he always treats me lik a Gentleman & when a man that has a much power over me as he has treats me kindly I respect him for it You will be puzeld to read this so I close for to day hoping to have a good days run up & safe trip Your truly Mack __________________ Captain Anderson is John Turrentine Anderson, Captain of Company A, his lieutenant was Warner Pleasant Anderson, his younger brother. Their pictures are on Carol's Web site Yesterdays of Hamilton County. Captain Andersons father and wife died while he was in Louisianna and his young son was being cared for by his wife's family. Warner was not married at the time of the war. Warner's son Chester would marry McAllisters daughter Amy and thus is how these letters passed to me. I do not have all of them some of the early ones have been scattered among family members Patrick J. Anderson http://worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?db=patanderson 9654 Baltimore Avenue, Laurel, Maryland 20723