*** This is a continuing presentation of Civil War letters written by William A. Smith. The letters are made available through Marion Brimberry. I have attempted to type the letters as true to the grammar and spelling as presented to me. David Thomson *** Camp ten miles south of Hamburg, Tennessee Monday night, May 5th, 1862 My Dear Wife:- I today at noon received your letter of the 22nd. ultimo and hasten to drop you a line to acknowledge its receipt. I wrote to you last night but this may possibly reach you before that does, at least they will be close together. Our battalion was ordered to move yesterday morning and the order was countermanded after we was saddled up. We then expected to move this morning, but it rained very heavy during the night and part of the morning. The Third battalion (ours) was ordered out with two days cooked rations. I did not go for as I have before told you I am acting Quartermaster and my duties does not call me away from the camp. In fact my duties rather detain me behind the company when we move. If the battle begins and our Regiment is called into action, I intend to participate in it with my Company. You seem to rather dread the consequences of a battle here. It is perfectly natural that you should be very uneasy about it. I hope however you will try to compose yourself as well as you can and wait the developments of time. I feel like it will be my good fortune to pass through all that will be required of me and return home to be blessed by my wife and children. Some persons seem always to think that it will be their lot to be numbered with those that pass off the stage of action at every battle. I have always felt differently, yet it may be that I will be one of the victims of war. In fact I may now, even now addressing you for the last time, but I hope not. I believe not. Our scouting parties are daily bringing in prisoners, their skirmishes all prove to be to our advantage. I had hoped to address you from Mississippi, but I write this at the same camp from which I wrote you last night. I am now receiving the Salem Advocate. I have read the new Constitution with care. You are aware that e will be allowed to vote upon it even if we are in Dixie. There is one part of it that I think is worth the whole cost of the convention; it is in regard to the 7 per cent of the net proceeds of the Illinois Central Railroad. You have often heard me speak of it, it is therefore useless for me to write to you my views concerning it. There is no document of its size ever got up, but that is objectionable in some of its features, then why should this one be an exception to the general rule. It would be strange indeed if it had no defects. Tell me now you like it and what is the opinion of the neighbors about it. I wrote to mother on my birthday and hope she has got it before this time. I would be glad to have a letter from her. I hear that Mr. Jones has gone for his wife and intends again to be our neighbor. Speaking of him reminds me of Henderson. I am really sorry that he has suffered so for something to eat. I hope he may never fare so hard again, but there is no doubt that thousands do suffer daily, either by the carelessness of the officers or on account of the trouble to transport supplies. I do not know how things are going on in the world, as I have not had a paper for several days. The papers dated 1st. inst are in camp but I have been busy today and not read any. I have another letter to write tonight. You will therefore excuse me. I must answer Diora, before I close yours. My Dear Little Girl:- I received your letter dated the 22nd of April, and was glad to know that you had got to writing so that I could read it. I was sorry to hear that Scott was not well. I think that Hannah B. Colburn is a very fine girl or she would not sent you the present that you tell about; but you did not tell me what it was. I am sorry that Marthas father got so badly hurt. I hope he will soon be better. Tell Ellen Nichols that I would be glad to see her. I hope you will be a good girl and mind mother and Miss Colburn. If you will mind her and try hard to learn, you can soon write me a very nice letter. Foster Moon is sick in the hospital about ten miles from here. Do you wish you was there so that you could give him a good drink of water. He is better now than he was. William Arnold is there with him, but he is very sick. I don’t know when I will see him. You are getting tired of reading my letter, so I will quit and write another. Good night. Your Father To Diora Smith

*** This is a continuing presentation of Civil War letters written by William A. Smith. The letters are made available through Marion Brimberry. I have attempted to type the letters as true to the grammar and spelling as presented to me. David Thomson *** Camp in Mississippi 5 miles from Corinth Saturday evening May 10th, 1862 My Dear Wife:- I today received yours of the 16th and 17th untimo. I had been looking for it for three or four days, since I received the one dated April 22nd which spoke of this one. I answered it immediately. I also received one today from John Foster dated 18th ultimo, containing 50 cents worth of postage stamps. You will thank him for me and if you have the money to spare you will pay him for them. I will write to him in a few days. I hope to get another from him in a day or two in answer to the package I sent him that contained the money. I hope he did not find any person that would not take their part of it for fear that Uncle Sam’s bank would break. We are on the left wing of the army here and our Regiment is called on every day for either skirmishers or picket and are engaged almost every day more or less with the enemy. They have driven them to within one mile of the town of Corinth. Both sides are losing some men every day. The day before yesterday our Company and some other companies of our Regiment was out under the command of our second Major Applington with some of the Michigan Cavalry. In a charge made by our battalion, Major Applington was shot through the head and never spoke. He was carried off of the field by Liuet. C.F. Lee, G.W. Haley and the adjutant of our Regiment, Charles Wills. Major Applington was one of our best officers. Company “M” had one man wounded at the same time. Jesse Tilley had his horse shot from under him, a cannon ball passing through his neck. James M. Padon had a large hole made through his hat, just above the top of his head. John Wall had his sabre at a carry (it being a sabre charge) when a ball struck his sabre and knocked it against his head and nearly knocked him off his horse. Sergeant Breeze had his mare wounded by a shell that burst near him. I could go on in detail several instances of some little interest to you at home, but will lonely say that the boys all came back with credit to themselves. Yesterday the Rebels rather gained on our left and the report was that they were trying to outflank us on the left. The Regiments in this vicinity saddled up and stood ready to mount at the signal from Headquarters, but after a time they were ordered to unsaddle. The accounts of yesterdays work are so conflicting that I will not now try to give you the result, further than that our advance force fell back with some loss. The 10th, 22nd, and 26th Regiments were among them, but I have not saw any in either of them that can tell me who is killed or wounded in any of them. This morning three companies of our Regiment were called out to scout with others, on the extreme left, to find whether they were really trying to outflank our division or not. During the day they came in sight of some pickets of the 3rd Michigan Cavalry. They fired and fell back and the artillery fired at them, killing one many of Company “A” of our Regiment. Our men had to charge upon them to save their own lives. They charged close upon the guns before the gunners knew that they were our own men. Had the guns been fired this time, there would certainly have been a great many killed, for the guns this time were charged with canister shot, which is the most destructive of all cannon shots. It seems very hard to be shot by our own soldiers, but wherever there is such heavy bodies of soldiers as this is here, it is almost impossible to avoid such collisions. There is no telling how soon the battle will begin. I hope it will be over before this reaches you. It is possible that the rebels may repulse us. I think not however. I believe that we will drive them from Corinth. I expect that it will be a heavy battle, but I do not believe that the loss of life will be as great as it was at Pittsburg Landing on account of the vast amount of Artillery that we have here. Of the number of men here, you are as well posted or better than I am. It is almost impossible for a person to comprehend the number even after being told unless they are well used to thinking about the size of numbers. I have not heard from William Arnold for three days. I am afraid he will die. Foster Moon has again joined the Company. He looks tolerably well, but he is not stout. Our Liuet. McDonald is sick. The Captain is also sick. I have been quite unwell since my last to you, but I am quite well now. The health of the Company is better than it was a few days ago. The weather is quite hot through the day and cool at night. It is getting late and you are tired of this. I will therefore close by subscribing myself. Your husband, William A. Arnold

*** This is a continuing presentation of Civil War letters written by William A. Smith. The letters are made available through Marion Brimberry. I have attempted to type the letters as true to the grammar and spelling as presented to me. David Thomson *** Camp near Corinth, Mississippi May 18th, 1862 My Dear Wife:- I am again permitted to see the light of Sunday morning and to have the privilege of addressing you. Yet I have doubts of my letters reaching you for some time. I believe that the letters from here are detained in Cairo. I hope however that such is not the case, but I will at least do my part in the matter. I will keep writing regular to you and you will get them after the battle, if not before. I am not receiving your letters as regular as I ought. The last one that I received was dated April 16th. I had received one, two or three days before, dated April 22nd, both of which I answered as soon as received. I received one from John Foster dated 17th and one from Uncle M.T. Ballance, dated 25th. I wrote to Uncle, but have been waiting about Johns expecting to receive another from him in answer to the package I sent him and I intended to answer both at once. But the next mail does not bring me a letter from him. I will wait no longer but will write to him at once. I know that you do not neglect to write to me, but your letters are very slow to reach me. The press at the post office at Cairo must certainly be very great. Just think of the 150,000 men here with those down the river and those at Forts Henry, Donaldson, Paduceh, and a great many other places, all of whom average more than one letter each week and the greater part of those letters passing through the Cairo post office. There is no wonder that letters are delayed. You have no doubt ere this seen the account of the death of our Major Applington in the papers, if you have not already saw it in my letter. Captain Kochler has been appointed to fill his vacant place. I do not know who will be our Captain. I think it will be Charles Lee, but it may be Lieut. McDonald. They are both good officers. Our operations here seem to be at a stand on this wing, but on the right wing they are knocking away at the enemy almost every day. Last Wednesday I rode over to the 22nd Regiment (about 4 miles from here) and saw S. Wiley Cunningham, Capt. James Jackson, Jeff Boring, Frank Wilton and all the boys that I am acquainted with in that Regiment, except Rev. T.F. Houts and Dr. Elliot. They are all quite well. I also met there John Cunningham. Over at the 26th, I met the Rev. J.B. Woodard and heard some news that I was expecting to hear from you, but was not aware that I expected such a thing. I mean the wedding of Bettie Purlsey and Jas. Gray. Hope they may life a happy life. I learned there that John Gaut had gone home. At 11 o’clock that night our Regiment was ordered to prepare for a march with two days cooked rations. From the way the ambulances were being got ready and the little strips of yellow clothe were being distributed to the buglers and musicians to show that they belonged to the hospital department and to protect them from the fire of the enemy, I naturally concluded that they expected bloody work. If you have received my letters you are aware that there was a fight expected. I accordingly saddled up and at the early break of day we were at General Popes Headquarters, where we found his little army ready for anything that should turn up. We was formed in line just across the front of the 25th, and about half a mile from Popes Headquarters. The 11th of Missouri (all Illinois troops) was on the left of the 26th. On our right was some Michigan cavalry. Then some batteries of guns. Then the 10th, 22nd, 60th etc of Illinois troops. Then another battery of guns, then still to the right was the Ohio and Indiana troops. Back on the left of the 11th Missouri was the 8th Wisconsin and Iowa troops. After waiting all day we laid down on the field and slept, to renew our position at daylight the next morning. Again we remained on the field all day, expecting to hear the signal to move, but we could only hear the discharge of an occasional gun far on the right, indeed so far that we could scarcely hear it. Late in the evening we all returned to our quarters. Yesterday morning the order was given to saddle up. Accordingly the horses were saddled but after a while the crier was to unsaddle. But this morning six companies were ordered out on a scout, and now our company is out with one days rations. They may possibly have a skirmish with the rebels for there is almost continual skirmishing going on along some part of the lines. Even now I hear an occasional gun to the right. We understand that the attack will be made (if by our forces) on the right, and that as soon as the battle begins, Pope will march his division direct to Corinth or the right wing of the enemy. The center will be supported by some 64 powder guns. In our division there is some 32’s but on the right, I do not know the weight of their balls. There has none of those heavy guns fired here yet and I would be glad if they were not needed. Yet where those heavy guns are used there is less loss of life than where the battle is fought with muskets. It is almost impossible to tell whether we will have a battle here or not. Should there really be a battle, the carnage will be very great, there is such a heavy force here on both sides. It is possible that the enemy may not withdraw their forces to another place and make a stand. Our officers will move with the greatest caution, to prevent the useless sacrifice of life. It may yet be some time before the matter is decided, but we cannot doubt that it will be decided in our favor. You are hearing of the victories of our armies almost every day from both East and the South. The word is victory, victory. I hope it may be kept up till there is not a place left in the United States where the rebel monster dare show his head. I know that you are looking forward to the time when war in the United States will be of the past, and I be at home. The prospect of a speedy termination of the war is certainly very good, yet it may hold out for a considerable time. I hope that before this reaches you, the news of the opening of the Mississippi river will reach you, together with a Union victory at Corinth. But if Memphis holds out half as well as the rebel sympathizers in our neighborhood would tell that it could, it will be months before there will be any passing from St. Louis to New Orleans. My health is good but I have fell off in flesh considerable. I weigh 148 pounds, that is half a pound heavier than I was when I left home nine months ago. How quick nine months has passed to me, but I suppose it is not so with you. You are no doubt very uneasy about me, but your uneasiness can not help you and is injurious to you. Hoping that you are all enjoying good health, I bid you good bye. William A. Smith

*** This is a continuing presentation of Civil War letters written by William A. Smith. The letters are made available through Marion Brimberry. I have attempted to type the letters as true to the grammar and spelling as presented to me. David Thomson *** Camp near Corinth, Mississippi Tuesday morning, May 20th, 1862 My Dear Wife:- I again take up my pen to address you. I wrote you a letter the day before yesterday, but I think there will be no mail allowed to pass Cairo from here till after the battle of Corinth and there is no telling when that will be fought. If you have not got any of my letters from here, you will get quite a bunch after the battle, for I write to you every few days, but I hope you have at least got part of my letters. For in yours of the 6th inst. you tell of reading mine of the 24th ultimo to mother. You tell about opening it before mother saw it. Such conduct in you can not be forgiven. I hope you will never do such a thing again. It is very improper in you to open a letter to her. Had I wished you to open it I should have addressed it to you instead of her. I wrote one I believe on the 26th of April and sent Scott a gold dollar as a birthday present. I think that you have received it, for mothers letter was only wrote two days before. Yours up to the 6th of May have all been received but it took twelve days for the last one to get here. I hope you have not quit writing because my letters do not reach you. You may be sure that I will write to you at least once a week, and I want to hear from you as often as you can conveniently write. I know that John Foster could have wrote to me before now, since I sent him the package of money, but it is time for Eldridge Jones to have been here several days and I think John has wrote by him. I have the Salem Advocate up to the 13th. I don’t see why my letters cant go as fast as newspapers. In my letters to you I have gave you none of the rumors of the camp. I could write pages of rumors that would interest you, but camp rumors cannot be relied on. You are no doubt already aware of that. Since my last to you there has nothing transpired worthy of note. There is some firing every day, and the battle seems to be almost commenced. The firing today is quite regular. For several days there has been some irregular firing in the vicinity of Corinth, but it has got to be steady, today. I rather think that the firing comes from the rebels. We have some 64 pound guns that will support our center and I think the rebels are trying to keep them from being mounted. It may be that the guns are our small guns, protecting the sappers and miners in mounting them. You at home are better posted as to the general news of the move here than we are that are here. With the promise to write soon, I bid you good bye. William A. Smith

*** This is a continuing presentation of Civil War letters written by William A. Smith. The letters are made available through Marion Brimberry. I have attempted to type the letters as true to the grammar and spelling as presented to me. David Thomson *** Camp near Corinth, Mississippi Friday morning, May 30th, 1862 My Dear Wife:- Having the chance to send you a note, I improve the opportunity, knowing that you will be glad to hear from me at every chance I have to write. My health is very good, but the weather is so warm that I am very lazy. I hope that you are now enjoying good health. I wrote to Miss E.A. Hamilton two or three days ago and enclosed a note to you. I had received the three papers sent by Miss Colburn. You will thank her for me. The same mail had brought me your letter of the 20th, but it got into the package of another Company and I did not get it till after I had mailed the letter to Lib. Since then we have moved close to General Popes Headquarters. Yesterday we went on a scout a few miles south of here and visited Glendale on the railroad, five miles east of Corinth. We found no rebels there. They had taken their pickets away from there just two days before. There is some fighting going on nearly all the time at some place along the lines. There is no telling when the battle will begin. Sometimes the firing is quite heavy and fast for a considerable time. I do hope that before this reaches you, Corinth may be in our possession. There is now a smoke over there that looks like the town is being bunt. Then there is another smoke away south of the town. The talk in camp is that it is a bridge on the railroad south of Corinth. If they have not evacuated the town and that bridge is burned, they will either have to fight or surrender. The 21st Regt. is camped close here. I have saw Major W.E. McMacken, Lieut. R.D. Easly and George F. Tryner and others of that Regiment. They occupy the trenches on the extreme left. The 35th Illinois is also close here. As we moved out here I saw A.H. Watkins. He is in the 25th I believe. The health of our Company is tolerable good. 48 privates present for duty. I hope Eldridge Jones may soon be able to return. I will write you again in a day or two in answer to yours of the 20th. Corinth is ours. William A. Smith

*** This is a continuing presentation of Civil War letters written by William A. Smith. The letters are made available through Marion Brimberry. I have attempted to type the letters as true to the grammar and spelling as presented to me. David Thomson *** Camp near Booneville, Mississippi June 9th, 1862 My Dear Wife:- The mail has just come and it almost made me sick to find that there was no letter for me. It has been almost two weeks since I received a letter from you and it (?) that I have not heard from you for a month or two. I hope that tomorrow’s mail will bring me several letters and I think that two of them will be from you. I have received two Commercials of last month, thank you. I hope you will send me some more when it is convenient. We are now encamped about one mile from where we were when I last wrote to you. The 35th Illinois is on the ground that we then occupied. Your uncle was there last Sunday and yesterday evening. Sergt. Breeze and me went over there and to some other regiments. Hartsock is 2nd Lieut. of Company “C” of the 38th. Thomas McConnell is rather unwell. Isaac Jones is back at Hamburg in the hospital. It is about fifty miles from here back to Hamburg. It takes one team five days to go there and back here. I suppose that Eldridge Jones started from home yesterday morning. If so, he is now at Cairo or coming up the river and will be here in three or four days. I hope that John M. Hamilton may soon be able to rejoin us. John is missed very much fro the Company. I learn that William Arnold is still in the hospital at St. Louis. Sergeant Beebe is there with the small pox. Treibel, our Quartermaster at home is not much better and there is no telling when he will be here. I hope he may be soon able to be here for he is a first rate fellow. Corporal John Good brake is now acting in his place. Captain Koehler today received his commission as Major of our Regiment. We now have no Captain. We will have to elect one in a few days. In my next I may be able to tell you who is our Captain. The matter lies between our two Lieutenants, C.F. Lee and Asa W. McDonald. I think so well of both of them that I could hardly decide which to vote for. I have not saw any of the boys of the 40th or 41st Regiments since the time that I wrote to you. I do not know where they are now. I had intended to go to see the 41st in company with Hamilton Jordan or Co. “E” of our Regiment. He has a brother in the same company with John Boring. But poor fellow he was killed at the Tuscumbia river. You will remember that I spoke in a former letter of two men of Co. “I” being killed and two wounded. Jordan was one of them. I do not think that you knew him. He was one that lived on the Mrs. Black old farm. He was a Corporal and a very sociable and nice fellow. He rests in a soldiers grave. You must certainly excuse me for this short note, for my mind is everywhere but with my pen. I may possibly write to you again tomorrow, especially if tomorrows mail brings me anything from you. Yours last received is still behind in my trunk but I expect to get my trunk tomorrow. I will then write to you in answer to it. I will write to Billy as soon as I have the chance. Hoping that this may find you and the children well, I bid you good bye. William A. Smith Camp in the field near Booneville Wednesday night, June 11th, 1862 My Dear Wife:- WE will march tomorrow morning at 6 o’clock and I may not have the chance to write you for several days. I hasten to drop you this note to apprise you of our move as I always do when it is possible. I wrote you yesterday and have nothing new to write unless I had more time to write. Our mail today did not reach us on account of General Pope moving early this morning. W.A.S.

*** This is a continuing presentation of Civil War letters written by William A. Smith. The letters are made available through Marion Brimberry. I have attempted to type the letters as true to the grammar and spelling as presented to me. David Thomson *** Jacinto, Mississippi Monday morning, June 23rd, 1862 My Dear Wife:- I hardly know how to being to write to you, for I have wrote several letters and notes to you since I received one from you. I think your last was dated 22nd of last month. I wrote to father two or three days ago and enclosed a note to you. I send you an order received from Lt. Colonel Prince who now has command of the Regiment. Colonel Kellogg having gone home. You will take it and go to Mr. Hamiltons and show it to John, then go to aunt Lucy Jones’. If Eldridge is still at home and read or have it read to him and if William Arnold has got home, you will also see him and read the order to him. If he is still at St. Louis you will get some of his friends to write to him without delay. By doing this you will save me the trouble of writing a notice to each of them. I believe that Eldridge has done wrong in staying so long. Should he get here in a few days it may be all right. I have been looking for him some time. I have been expecting a letter from Miss Hamilton for some time. I wrote to her about a month ago and sent John five dollars. I think she has certainly wrote before this time. I also enclosed a note to you containing a dollar bill. You have certainly acknowledged the receipt of it before this time. Last Saturday and Sunday we went on a scout about thirty miles south of here down the Fulton Road. We learned that there is a large force at Fulton. Turning west we crossed the Tombigbee river. It is here about as large as the Okaw at Vandalia. The bottom is rich, matted with cane, and some pines through the Gum and other timber. This pine is the best timber that I have yet seen in Dixie. I wrote to Billy last night. I would like to see him. I received a letter from John Foster and one from Dave Nichols and one from Mr. Moon. They seemed to be drop letters, I think they was sent by hand. On the Tombigbee river we found where the enemy had been encamped quite strong and learned in the neighborhood that they left there on last Thursday. They had some cannons there. Passing on to Marietta we found that the rebel soldiers had left there a few days before and burnt a lot of cotton there. I was detailed to take notes and distances and sketch the roads, and I would if had time, write you something about what I saw and heard, but I am now busy almost day and night. We got into a neighborhood where the citizens was not looking for us and I had some fun hearing them curse the Yankees, then tell them that ours was the Yankee troops and you ought to see them open their eyes. I was at a spinning factory at Bay Spring and talked to the proprietor and his wife. She is a nice smart woman. I swapped the Salem Advocate for the Mobile Register, which I send you. He wrote the address on it himself. I do not know why I do not get your letters. It must be on account of our army being on the move first one way then the other way. I hope that todays mail will bring me a letter or two from you. For the present I hope you will excuse me. William A. Smith

*** This is a continuing presentation of Civil War letters written by William A. Smith. The letters are made available through Marion Brimberry. I have attempted to type the letters as true to the grammar and spelling as presented to me. David Thomson *** Camp near Corinth, Mississippi Sunday evening, May 25th, 1862 My Dear Wife:- Yours of the 13th and 15th inst was received yesterday evening. You may be sure that I was glad to hear that you had received mine of the 27th, ult. and those of the 4th and 5th inst. I was afraid that they had been stopped at Cairo, but afterall, it may be false about the mail being stopped there; if it be so, I know you will be very uneasy about me before you get my letters that I have been sending since then. I wrote to John Foster two or three days ago and enclosed a note to you, and hired a man that was going up the Central Railroad to take it all and drop it at some of the offices along the line. I did intend to send it by one of our men that had been discharged, but failed to send by him. I hope however that you will soon get it, then you will not be expecting my letters if they do not come. I am sorry that you and the children had the mumps at the same time, but I am glad that you are all getting along tolerably well with them. I am sorry to hear that Sam Reed has his money stolen, for the soldiers money is hard earned. Just this minute a man brought me a letter from your uncle Montgomery, dated 24th, on board the steamer Sunshine, between Fort Henry and Hamburg. He is now down at the river. I may see him tomorrow. He speaks of his visit to you and about seeing my letters to you. He saw Henderson Jones at Batesville, Arkansas on the 27th inst., he was well. I hope that John M. Hamilton and Eldridge Jones will not try to join us till they get entirely well. I am glad to hear that Lee’s brother escaped being pressed by the rebel army. I am glad to know that at least a part of the Southern people are too independent to join in the work of destroying the Government. I have not received the letter that you speak about Billy Marohl writing. I shall look for it with considerable anxiety. You wonder why Jacob Pool does not write to his father and say that they think he is killed. I wonder if they have ever wrote to his company to enquire after him. I have only saw him once since I have been here, but heard from him a few days ago. He was well then. I think I will take a tramp in a few days to see all my acquaintances. Sergeant Breeze stayed all night with the 41st night before last, but he did not know that John Boring was in that Regiment. It is about twelve miles from here. You enquire about the amount of clothes I have got and the way I wash them. I have bought one hat, $1.87, one cap and cover, 63cts. One uniform jacket, $5.84. Two pair of pants at $4.00 each. One blouse coat, $2.15. Two shirts, $1.76. Two pairs of drawers, $1.00. Two pair of socks, 52cts. One pair of boots, $3.33. One overcoat, $9.75. One blanket, $2.95. The whole amounting to thirty seven dollars and eighty cents, so you see that I have overdrawen my allowance five dollars and thirty cents. My overcoat you have. My uniform jacket is entirely new. I have only had it on two or three times, once when I had my picture taken at Cape Girardeau. My boots are tolerably good yet. They will last me to the end of the year. My first pants are tolerably good yet, but I took a new pair a few days ago, so that I could have them if I needed them, when there is none to be had. My blouse is about worn out, my drawers are both good. My shirts are tolerable good, then I still have the white shirt I brought with me. I have only worn it once or twice, I like the flannel shirts better. One pair of the socks I have, I have never had on. The suspenders that you sent me I have never used. My blanket I sent home with my overcoat and a good bedtick. You said nothing about receiving them. I also sent the white blanket that I brought from home, did you get it? You want to know how I was my clothes. I do it with soap, water and a little elbow grease. How would you like to see me over the washtub? I forgot to send my mittens and a few little things that I had intended to send to you. You say that Barthollett Lee thinks the war cannot last long. I am of the same opinion. I do not see how they are to protract the war much longer, yet they may possibly hold out a great while yet. I am sorry to hear of the mule being killed, it was such a nice gentle little thing, but there is no use grieving after it. There has nothing transpired worthy of note since my letter to John Foster. There was some very sharp skirmishing about that time. Such skirmishes would be called heavy battles where there was less numbers present. In fact it almost takes an army to stand picket guard here, then it takes about a Regt. ot two to make a scouting party. I cannot tell anything about how long it will be till the battle of Corinth will be fought. It may be only a few days, then again it may be weeks. Let it come when it may, it will be a dreadful thing, there will be so many men on both sides. It seems to be the policy of our commands to work gradually around them and try to take the place without a useless sacrifice of human life. It seems to be the intention of Beauregard to wait an attack from our forces. The fight may commence at any time, there is no knowing when. Should there be a fight and our Regt. be called into action, I will be with them. My health keeps good, my weight today is 150 pounds. Tilley is again in the hospital. He seems to get along very poorly. Foster Moon is tolerable well. The rest of the boys are all well. Our morning report today shows, for duty, one Captain, one first Lieut., four sergeants, four corporals, one bugler, one furrier, and blacksmith, one saddler, 48 privates, six privates detailed on extra duty for which they get extra pay. Sick one second Lieut., two noncommissioned officers, eight privates. In arrest, one private, absent, twelve. But since I have been writing the last three lines, Robert F. Young and Henry F. Stahl has returned, making for duty five corporals and two buglers, total enlisted men, eighty eight, three commissioned officers, making ninety one. Our horses look tolerably well. Some of them are quite poor, others are tolerably fat. Mine is about as fat as you ever saw him. Robert Young tells me of his wife receiving a letter from you dated the 3rd inst. Hoping you are all well, I bid you good bye. William A. Smith

*** This is a continuing presentation of Civil War letters written by William A. Smith. The letters are made available through Marion Brimberry. I have attempted to type the letters as true to the grammar and spelling as presented to me. It will be noted below that this letter was written within the preceding letter. The copies I'm working from are typed copies with numbered pages. I'm guessing these letters as I have them were already transcribed from the originals, even though the letters I have are fairly old themselves. David Thomson *** Monday night—26th May Our company was called out on a scout quite early this morning and I went with them. We went close to the Alabama line and our friends our there reported that there was quite a large force within a mile of us and we backed off, making pretty good time for a few miles. Some leaving their dinners like Jeff Thompson left his in Missouri. There is now ten companies of our Regiment gone out there. Should they find any rebels out there, there will be a fight. If it proves to have been a false alarm, then it will be a good joke on the dinners. Charlie Lee went to Hamburg today and saw your uncle Montgomery. They will pass this way in a day or two. The 21st passed here this morning, but I was out and did not see them. I would like to have seen them. I would like very much to see Major Warren E. McMachen, Robert Easley and George F. Trynor and all the rest of the boys that I am acquainted with. I may not see them at all even if we are in the same neighborhood. I will try to see some of them in a few days, but I have a very poor chance to leave camp for more than a few hours at a time. I think that Isaac Jones and Thomas and Montgomery will call on us as they pass, as we are only a hundred or two yards from the road. My health is still good. G.W. Haley is sick tonight. I hope that you are all entirely well of the mumps by this time. Good night, William A. Smith (note) the above letter was written with red ink in between the lines of the letter written on Sunday evening. L.V.F.