Lake, Providence, La, March 20th, 1863 
 
       Dear Wife 
I Sit down this afternoon to write you a few 
lines [crossed out] [illegible] in order to [crossed out] [illegible] inform you that I am 
as well as usual: I Rec,d a letter from you last 
night dated March 8 & 10th and I Recd another 
one from you this morning dated March 1st & 4th 
   was 
I was very glad to Learn that you ^ getting better 
the wether is getting quite warm the Sun Shines So that 
it is uncomfortable in the tents but there is a breeze 
Stiring on the Plantation So that it is comfortable 
out under the Shade of the trees [crossed out] [than] I think it 
will be sometime before we will have mutch 
hot wether at a time . I Recd a letter this morning 
from James Spaulding and one from Susan Wilson 
Jim Said that his folks was getting well Susan  
Said her folks was well and said that they [crossed out] [was go] 
would go back to Marshall in April She Said She 
had Just Rec,d a letter from Harit which Stated She 
was about well again  Susan said that there had 
been a great deal of Sickness in Ill this winter 
I also Rec,d a letter from Sisters Elisabeth and 
  Mahala they Said there was a great deal of Sickness 
in their part of the State this winter; Elisabeths 
man had been very Sick with the Inflammation 
of the Stomach [crossed out] [but] and was not Expected to live 
for a while; but had got better again; you wished 
me to write if I had plenty of clothes [crossed out] [illegible] & I have all 
the clothes I want and more too; I have a good pare of 
Boots and can draw Shoes whenever I wish them 
or any other clothes except when the Quarter,master 
happens not to have them on hand; we have, tents 
and have had them Ever Since we come South but 
they are now getting Old and leaky but we Shall 
draw new ones in a few days; we also have plenty 
to Eat though in no great variety we get but 
few vegetables; Robert Mc, Bill Cleery Ed Crandal 
John Kingston and myself filled a Box with 
   .Mrs. Mc  Michael 
Clothes and Expressed it to ^ Veroqua in care of 
Old Mr Newell it will go by Express to Sparta 
and will then be Sent to Mr Newell and and then 
Mrs McMichael will get it from [crossed out] [there] Viroqua 
My things I believe are all marked I sent one 
overcoat with my name in the Sleeve; one new uniform 
Dress coat marked the same way; one for new Blue 
pants my name on the waistband and the lower End 
of the pockets piece one new pr Drawers and one 
old pr; and two woolen Shirts Sewed together with 
a card on the collar with my name one it 
if the Drawers and Shirts are of any Service to 
          you or the Baby; you can make use of them 
[crossed out] [If the Box] we paid the Express charges in advance 
to Sparta it cost us five Dollars; if the Box comes 
through you will help Mrs McMichael pay whatever 
Extra charges there may be on them from Sparta; down; 
Will Cleary Sends his Over Coat in your care So you 
will Keep it until he comes or Sends for it; what Extra 
charges as I Said before there may be on the Box you 
will pay about twice as mutch as Mrs Mc as I have 
the most in the Box; I forgot today that I Sent a 
  a 
Blanket there is ^ card on it with my name on the 
card; Since I commenced writing our Quarter 
Masters has come up from the River with our 
New Tents : I was Sorry that Ring I Sent you 
got Broken; I will Send you another one in this 
letter [crossed out] made of that I made of Bone with a Silver 
Diamond fastened in with red wax with a heart 
on Each Side also filled with wax; we was paid two 
months pay the 12th of this month I Sent you Ten Dols 
in my last letter and if it gets through I will Send 
Some more I do not Expect we will get any more 
pay before May  . I have not Seen or heard Directly 
    from Jabe Since we left Vicksburg there has 
not been mutch fighting at Vicksburg Since 
we left there   Except with heavy Artillery 
we can hear canonading from Vicksburg 
to this place very plainly; We have cut 
a channel from the River into Lake Providence 
We Started the water into the lake three days 
ago and the lake has risen about ten feet 
and is Still rising and the channel wearing 
larger a large Scope of country is now being 
overflowed and many Citizens are being Driven 
from their homes by the water; the water has Driven 
us from where we first camped and we have moved 
back near the River; and perhaps in a few days 
we will be compelled to move on the other side 
of the River; the Sesesh around here begin to 
feel quite Blue over the ruin of their land [crossed out] [illegible] 
being 
^ put under water by the Yankees : I see that the 
Citizens of all the Northern States are getting are getting 
fully as Sick of the war as the Soldiers are I am 
mutch better contented in the army now than I 
was last Summer; Though I am Anxious to see 
the war close and peace once more Return to our 
Once peaceful prosperous and happy country and 
again Enjoy our homes and friends; and I look 
forward to that day as a day of great Rejoicing with the 
American people; and I hope to See that day 
Write soon Good Bye  Your as Ever   T.J. dAvis 
To L.M.Davis