Mouth of White River Ark January the 1st 1865 My Dearest Elizabeth This beautiful day the 1st day of the year the 1st day of the weak & the month naturaly calls for a letter from me home to that home yes to my long sweet ??? come the habitation of my companion & children & connection this morning I with you set out on the stage of action for a new year a year that you or I never sean heretofour the year 65 has been a time or period that I intended to or expected to visit my old frends in Hamilton County Ills & Kentucky I have during the last year been in severl lite places & sean many hardships this morning I was Twelve months ago I was on the march from Newiberia La to Franklin La Many times have I regered in my mind a disignated year but 64 is the most conspicous of them all & should I be permited to return to a retierd life I shal ever remeber the year 64 I shal not nor do not look back with disgust but with delight & pride yes pride oh how glad I am that I have been some help in puting down this grate rebelion & sustaining our Glorious Union Last night was quite a lively time in camp at midnight at 12 seamed to be a geting time among thoes that did go to bed atall whisky was isued to all the troops Bells was rung lights throde up guns shot off & canons fierd that made the sandy shore trimble whare we are encampt I did not get up as I had just went to bed at 11 P.M. This morning things seamed to be some quieter tho all are generly lively all over camp News from all parts of the country is of the most encouraging kind Genl Thomas has completly whipt Good clean out of the Country & taken 10000 prisners & all his artilery Genl Sherman has taken savanna with all pertaining to a Gulf City & expect one of the grandest campains now on record Genl Samuelson had mad a successful raid through the bogus Confedracy from Batenrouge to Mobeal Bay & infested Mobeal & it is thought theat Mobeal will soon fall Sherman says he is going to take Charlston & he is apt to do what he says he will do if Lee leavs Richmond to go & look after his devastated Confedracy Grant will walk in to the Capital & point the finger of reasin at the grate rebel Cheaftian some say that Grant will not take Richmond so they who are of litle faith said he would not take Vicksburg Not withstanding all the perdictions of of Eavel & false profits our cause is progressing & the Rebelion is sloly crumbling all ready they are complaining that there flag is not of deep enough a cular & are going to put in more red so it will look briter while on the other hand the stars & strips flots more brillent & looks more & more briter & this morning they seam to be of the deepest hue I forever flot that standerd sheet & my strong desier & hope is that it may wave over all the land ere the year 65 shal close up his annual list; but I am not teling what I ought to but my mind rapt up in my countrys servis & I love to write about it I am well & harty this morning earnestly hoping that this may find you all well I should have claimd your Christmas gift if I had thought that I could have collected the bill but I thought that I would wate til next Christmas & then mabe I will be at home I should have sent you a nice present for a new years gift if I had it ready but it will not be ready in time so I send you one of not so much value but expressing as much respect as if it was worth 10 dollars I did imploy one of the boys to make me a gold ring but his hand got sour & he could not so saying I close hoping to be with you next new year MAC tel Eaf if he is not gon that I am in hopes that he will have a happy tim live to an old age but you must ask him for me what he would take for him self now & lent out the roten tel him that I am posted some in milertary maters & that I think will just get to Ky in time for a draft & then oh then he will be under for ever poare felow I am sory but cant cry tel Charly Sutten that if any Country was torn up & over run with theaving bands lik this is I would be in the army at all haserds & if his is a Lincoln man let him sho it by his conduct we dont want Lincoln men now nor McLelland we war men fighting we brave men men that is mot affrade to go to the front & fight for there Country I have no simpathy for Lincoln men if they are not all ones for the war to last end Lizzie I hope you will endever to cary on things to the best advantage trying to content & peaceable I know that many things is in the way but I hope that all may continue quiet til I come home so I close I am yours truly till deth M A Hooker Patrick J. Anderson http://worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?db=patanderson 9654 Baltimore Avenue, Laurel, Maryland 20723