[Penciled in on top of Scan 1]

		July 18, 1862

[End]

	Our Union Defenders

	    Denver. July 18 / 62

		 Dear Father.
			I now
	    take my pen in 
	    hand to write you a
few lines. I am well. I have been
			              a
Since I left home. I wrote a lett^r to
John when I was in Corinth. & I Suppose
that he has recieved it.before this time.
When I left home & went to Louisville. I
found Alexander where I left him when I
went home. & as he was not very well when
I came away from there I advised him
to stay there I wrote a letter to him
a few days After I wrote to John.
but I have not recieved ans. Since
[illegible] I left Louisville. I took the cars
from corinth to [illegible] where my 

Company were to work on the Railroad. it
is 30 miles from Corinth. when I reached
the company I found Seven letters there
for Alex. & me two of them had Postage
Stamps in. the two letters that you
wrote to Alex. &. me. to Louisville last Spring
you put on the name of them Company & 
Regt & of course they were forwarded to the
Regiment. After I reached the Company
they stayed to [illegible] a few days &
then started for Decatur. we took the
cars So it did not take long. I saw
Sol. Campbell. he is well. Decatur 
is Situated on the Tenesee River it is
a small village. we stayed here a couple 
of days & then took the cars for Huntsville
the Railroad has to be guarded to keep the
Rebels from tearing up the track. they fire 
into most every train that goes along.

Huntsville is a very pretty place
the inhabitants are very wealthy most of
being men who own large plantations in the
surrounding country. we stayed to Huntsville
					         on
a few days & then took the cars for Stevens^
at Stevenson we changed cars & took the road
		     We
toward Nashville. ^ went out on this road 25
miles. where there was a bridge burned. it took
us a week to build the bridge we had just
got it done when the Rebels came in & took
Murfreesboro. between us & Nashville. it was
45 miles from where we were to work. then we
took the cars & came back to Stevenson. Huntsville
& Decatur. where we took a road running from Decatur
to Nashville. we came to within eight miles of
here on the cars. & then we had our Knapsacks
carried on the wagons So we have a easy time
our whole Regt is here to work the cars run from
Nashville to within 18 miles of here so we expect

to have the road open all the way [illegible]
few days we have a bridge to build here
& there is two or three more to build before the
cars can run through. we have not recieved
our pay yet. we have a good living now there
is plenty of aples. peaches. & blackberries & we
get most anything we want. the men are uncommonly
healthy now. we have good water all through here
it has been very dry here this summer & the crops
will be nearly a failure. So the people have the
promise of a famine along with civil war.
the cotton is in blow now. but is going to be a short
						 ing
crop. we are 80 miles from Nashville. I have noth^
mor to write at present. direct your letters to Co. F. 1st
Regt. Mich. Eng. & Mechs. Nashville. Tenesee
write as soon as you can. I will write as often
as I can for your letters may get lost.
		I Remain Your affectionate Son.
			Allen. Campbell