/1863 
Memphis Tenn Jan, 17th 
Dear 
     Brother & Sister 
I again Sit down to write you a few lines 
to let you Know that I am in tolerable good 
health hoping this may find you all well 
I Recd your letter about a week ago bearing 
date Dec 19th and was verry glad to hear from 
you and to hear that you was all well 
we have been runing around considerable 
since I wrote to you before the last time. 
I wrote to you I Believe I was in Abbeville 
we left there and went on South to Oxford 
then Vandorn got around behind us and 
took Holley Springs and Burnt Some of 
Government Supplies and paroled five 
or Six Hundred of our men and left 
again So we turned around and come 
Back to Hollysprings and Remained 
there about a week we then come up 
to Moscow on the Memphis & Charleston 
    Railroad and guarded the Road about 
two weeks we Started from Moscow 
the tenth and got here the 13th of this month 
we are now under Marching orders for 
Vicksburg I Expect we will start to 
morrow I Saw [illegible] Pendegraph Jim 
wells and Will Curry a few days ago [illegible] 
Said he had not had a letter from you  
for a long time I give him the letter 
I got from you there was five thousand 
Rebel prisoners landed here last night from 
from Below they were taken in Arkansas 
I wish we had all the Rebels prisoners 
and was Ready to Start North with them 
you Said you wished me to give my 
Opinion of the war; well I will tell 
you; it is [crossed out] [one] Decidedly the worst thing 
that Ever happend this country and goes 
to Show what Monarches of the old 
world has always claimed; that man is 
not Capable of Self Government and 
does not Appreciate his prosperity when 
he is doing well. I do not believe that 
          Re 
the union will ever be ^ Established 
as it was; unless it is done by 
    Compromise and the day of compro 
mise I believe is now passed the time 
has been when I believe an honorable 
compromise might have been affected but 
of late the Rebels have been mutch En 
couraged by the Actions of our own 
[illegible] on the North who would if they 
could get into power; at once acknowlege 
the Independence of the South the 
South is mutch Stronger than most 
        within 
people in the North are aware of and ^ the 
advantage they have of us they cannot 
in my opinion be Subjugated with 
Twice their own numbers: When the 
War Ends it will be done by compromise 
or a Recognition of the southern confederacy 
If the first hundred men that advocated  
[crossed out] [illegible] Secession principals had been hung 
without Trial we now no doubt would 
be living in a peaceful and prosperous, country 
I used to feel proud of the name of an 
American but I fear that America has 
    Disgraced herself in the Eyes of the whole 
Civilized World; Though I cincerely 
Wish the war may terminate more 
favorable than my Anticipations can  
hope to Realise under the present circum 
Stances. i would like to write you a long 
letter this time but I have about a half 
Dozen letters to Answer to day So I have not 
time if you wish to write to the Old lady 
Ingersoll folks there adress is [illegible] 
warren, Co, Ills, I Rec,d a letter from them 
last night they were all well Except the 
Old Lady She has been unwell all fall and 
winter, I Rec,d a letter from Isaac and 
one from Will &. O.K. the Same time I 
got yours they ware all well; we have 
Just been having an old fashioned Snow 
Storm it is now about a foot deep and the 
weather is quite cold for this climate 
you must Excuse me for bad writing 
as I am in a hurry  Well my paper is 
out and I must close   Write soon 
Direct as you did before give my 
Respects to all       Thos.J.Davis 
      To George & Elisabeth Ditto