Helena Ark. April the 21st 1865 My Dearest Elizabeth I seat my self to write you a letter this blustery morning I am as well as comon hopeing this may find you well I think my last letter was the 16inst The mail came yesterday bringing me a letter from Enoch Ashby he solved my enigma but I think he got the answer from the Central The river is still full & rizing the water is nearly all over our camp. The news from all points is encouraging except assassination which is disapointing (Mobeil) is ours and Talor is gon up the Alabama River with A J Smith after him and Willson in his front we captured at Mobeall and surroundings 6000 prisners & 60 peaces of artilery the news came here yesterday of Johnston having surenderd his army to Sherman but not confirmed yet we look for a dispach to day then we will know the truth of it General Laine come in to Paducha Ky & gave him self up with 400 men the other day Col Forrest came in to Memphis to see if he could make arangments to give up we soon look for General Forrest to do likewise. Some of the boys say they are going home in May but I beleave I shal wate to see how things work. as I am looking to see the end of this rebelion he pepal that is at home does not know how to take leave of them selves The army is coming home after a while and then cursing and abusing us as the army {will stop}[crossed out] and killing each other and assasinating the president of the United States such things as this will play out then The fier is out in front and soon we will turn to the reare. then they will call for rocks and mountains to fall on them to hide them from this mity Teste that we all as one man and divided not among them selves I have not herd from P. L. Hooker yet I sean a letter from Anna Parker the other day she is well but had been sick There is a power of rain here now we are flooded nearly. Lizzie I do not think that we will stay our time out hardly tho we may there is no talk of paying us now it is all died out but I think we will be paid off in a week or two there is no movements here now and no scouting I have no horse and do not expect to have any more. Our Cook has left us and now we cook for our selves some times one cooks and some times another What sort of a felow did Bety marey. R W Phelps died on the 19 of this month I was not with him when he died but it is said he died happy John Mabery is mending Martin Daly is still grunting I grunt some times but take it back afterwards We got up a big talk last night about what we was going to do if we got home in May Some said they was going to plant some corn & some was going to hunt for Squirls some one thing and some another and I said I would plant 2 acres of tobaco for to imploy my self during the sumer and all of it only amounted to just pass off the time while a thunder storm swept over the camp. grennet[?] mess No 1 is geting along very well the boys in camp are all in fine spirits but very angry when speaking of the deth of Lincoln we are otherwise to shoot down any man that smiles over the deth of the president the army is a hard place for a traitor you say that a man as a soldier is shure fier if he comes homes as I will (add that a soldiers wife just rite when he goes home as does not go against the grain any) I am as ever yours M.A.Hooker Patrick J. Anderson http://worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?db=patanderson 9654 Baltimore Avenue, Laurel, Maryland 20723