Bolivar Tenness August 1st 1862 
 
I Rec,d your letter three days ago bearing date of July 20 & 21st 
which was thankfully Rec,d; and I was glad to hear that you was 
well I am in as good health as usual; I would have [crossed out] [illegible] Answered 
your letter before this if I could; But we was on a march when I 
Rec,d it and I had no chance until now; we left Corinth last 
Monday morning and arived here at Bolivar yesterday; Thursday 
being four days on the road the distance is, 60, miles; and quite 
a crooked Road; you can See by looking on the map the Rout we come 
We Started north from Corinth and Marched about [18? 48?] miles; we 
then turned west and crossed the Rail Road leading from Corinth 
to Columbus we kept on in a Northwest Direction for about 
four miles from the Rail Road we then Elbowed around to the 
South west and crossed the Memphis & Charleston Rail Road at 
at a Town called Chawalla we then turned west again keeping 
on the south side of the Rail Road [crossed out] [illegible] for about (20) miles; we again 
[crossed out] [illegible] turned North and Recrossed the M & C R.R. at a Town called 
Pocahontas we then traveled in a north west Direction untill 
we arived at Bolivar; we come through Som Rough and 
Romantic country with quite a variety of timber that 
does not grow in the North; among them are Chesnut; Beech 
Sasafras, Sweet Gum; Dog Wood; Persimmon; Poplar; Cyprus 
Rock Oak and also what they call live Oak we also come through 
Some nice looking country with now and then a large Cotton 
Plantation though the most of them are planted to corn this year 
calculated for the Supply of the Sesesh Army; though Some 
cotton is Raised; one, hundred acres is the most that I Saw on 
one plantation; the most of the Inhabitants along the road 
consisted of White Women and Niggers; White men Inhabitants 
      both women & children 
were Seldom Visible; Some forty or fifty Negros ^ come to 
our Division at [crossed out] [the] diferant places on the Road and wanted  
to go with us; the Wenches and Children were driven back 
But Some fifteen or twenty men were permitted to follow 
us away Some would come away laughing in good Spirits  
and Some would look Solemn as though they Regretted to  
leave friends behind and was in doubt as to the prospect of 
getting their freedom; the Implements for farming here 
is far inferior in improvement to those used in the North 
Some of the plous used are patterns of fifty years ago 
and would be considered [crossed out] [of a] curiosities of the dark ages 
in Some of the Northern [illegible in original]; I have not Seen but 
one Reaper and one Threshing Machine Since I have been 
in the South; and the Threshing Machine was a Small two 
Horse Endless chain power concern a poor looking Trafi; 
the cotton presses and cotton Gins are Odd looking Machines 
to a person that never Saw them Before they are run by 
Horse power; Our forces here have about three hundred 
Negros at work on Breast works fortifying this place 
I have not Said anything about Bolivar yet Bolivar is 
a very pretty place full as large as Corinth with 
Rather Better Buildings the most of them Brick; thare is 
Some Spledid Residences here the grounds are tastefully 
laid out and well ornamented with Shade trees & Shrubry 
     This place is not So mutch Deserted by its inhabitants 
  as corinth; as they found that the yankees would not 
molest them in their Traitorous Habitations 
Apples and peaches are now fairly getting rip and roasting 
ears are in good condition for use; And notwithstanding 
      would 
the Strict orders to the contrary the Soldiers ^ fall out of the ranks 
and confiscate all the corn; apples and peaches, they wanted 
as we was on the March; Many chicken Roasts were also 
left desolate the poultry being pressed into the .U.S. 
     v                              u 
Ser^ice as the boys wo^ld Say they would not take the oath 
    [illegible in original] 
they considered that a fowl ^ Stomache on the March 
was no peticular disadvantage to the System 
you wanted to know what kind of bed that I have to 
Sleep on; when we was at Corinth I had a bunk fixed up 
from the ground by driving down forks and laying two 
poles on them and then fasten corn Sacks to the poles 
for the Bottom then put my Blankets on that But when 
we are Marching or Stay but a Short time in a place 
we Sleep on the ground the boys have got used to it 
So they Stand it verry well I could not Sleep on a feather 
bed now if I had one untill I got used to it again; 
you wrote that Dick Powell wanted you to pay him 
Some money that I Owed him; I dont know that I Owe him 
a cent. he never hinted to me that I owed him anything 
and more then that I never promised to Send him any 
money; it was nothing less than; an attempt to Swindle 
on his part; I dont owe any one in the country and I dont want 
you pay any attention to any Such demends; if I Owed 
Dick why did he not write to me about it 
		August 2nd /62 
I do not know how long we will Remain here; there 
  is Some talk of us being Sent on to Memphis in a few days 
there [illegible] is quite a large Rebel force off South of us thirty 
or forty miles and it is thought that they intend coming 
through this way and attack this place; we may however 
          perhaps 
Stay here Sometime and ^ have a Squabble with Sesesh 
[crossed out] [the] Robert Mc has been unwell for Several days but he is 
better again the Rest the Boys are as well [crossed out] [illegible] usual 
       been 
the weather is not so warm as it has ^ and I hope we will 
not have So mutch weather as we have had this Season 
I will Send you a leaf from the cotton plant and also 
a flower of the plant the flower on its first appearance 
are white; But a few days before they drop off they 
turn Red; we have not been paid off Since 
Burnett left our pay Roll has been made out and 
Signed nearly a month we have Three months pay 
   due us the first of this month; I dont know when 
we will get our pay; we may not get it until in 
September and then Draw four months pay; it is 
time that you had ought to have Some more money 
from the State the Returns have been Sent to 
Madison long ago; Tell Burnett if he dont write 
to me I will nearly kill him if I ever get Back 
Springville again Direct your letters to Corinth 
as you did before they will follow [crossed out] [illegible] us up 
Nothing More this time So Good Bye 
    Write Soon				Thos.J.Davis 
Lucinda M Davis