Mouth of White Riv Arkansas Dec the 15 1864 My Dear Lizzie I have just returned from a visit up White River distance 180 milds to Dennals Bluff 40 milds from Litle Rock 15 of us went up to escort a steamboat through I had a fine trip but very cold it sleeted & blowed as cold as I ever sean it tho we had a good place in her with a good stove but if I stept out of the cabin the wind seamed like it would show me it taken us 4 days to go but we had a much nicer time coming back we started up there on the 8th & yesterday at 11 o clk A.M. we started back on the fine steamer Granny Ogden & she run through in 17 hours & at 4 this morning we landed here I caim to my tent caim in & lit a candle & Mart told me there was 2 letters for me in my hose so soon I was reading a letter from my sweet Lizzie & she told me many prity things but you said you was barefooted but I gess that deficiency is made up by this [torn] The boys went on a scout while I was gon & they captured 6 or 7 prisners & got what meat & potatoes they wanted & our mess has got a base full of fesh meat after my ride of nearly 400 milds through the wind I felt rather stuped & I lade down & slept a while this morning & then I got up & washd & blacked my boots washd a cureed my horse & eat brekfast & met around a litle & come in & commenct writing I am well & harty as comon hoping that this may find you well While I was at the bluff I sean large crowds of refugees coming in from the contry evry train from Litle Rock brot a large crowd of women men & children all lookt poore & destitute some ladies looked like in former days they had been blesd with welth education and refinment now they are raged poore & sufering having nothing with them but a few old time warm quilts the way they generly do is to desert the rebel army gether there familys & brake for the Union lines not a few does this sean lots of them & men for the Rock told me that [torn] 12 & 14 per day com in that way I asked sevrl of them whare they was going & the allways said to Illinois one fellow who said he had served 3 years in the rebel army was going to Hamilton County you must tel ant Huldy that I have picked out a place for me & unkle go to live in Arkansas the place is 45 milds above St Charles & 45 below the bluff & 80 milds from Litle Rock on White River where there is lots of Bear Deer turkey & coons & plenty of Ash timber & cord wood is 4 dollars a cord & catle horses can live all the time without feeding cain braks lots of them a man could do well when the war is over the River is a beautifull stream & allways navigable at all times of the year there is not talk of drawing money I cant tel when we will draw we have given out geting any more now for a while A B Porter has gon home & now I will close hoping to here from home soon you must write me a Christmas letter let me know when your Birthday is & how old you are I am Yours truly Mac ______________________________ Mac was already too late ELizabeths birthday was October 23, 1839 Patrick J. Anderson http://worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?db=patanderson 9654 Baltimore Avenue, Laurel, Maryland 20723