John Lively expresses excitement at the possibility of being transferred to the newly formed Mississippi State Cavalry under Lt. Col. John McGuirk. He implies that he is a member of the "Desoto Rangers" cavalry unit, but records indicate that he was only in the 17th Missisippi Infantry, so it is seems unlikely his transfer was accepted. Lively appears to have already suffered a serious wound or illness, since he mentions that he needed permission from a surgeon to apply for a transfer and he claims he could easily get a discharge if he wanted. Lively goes on to briefly discuss his recent engagement to an "[i]ntelligent" woman of "French desent," then discusses the many other courtship opportunities that he could have explored.
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