Camp Near Carthage La. 
May 7th 1863 
    Dear Lucinda 
I again Sit down to write you a few 
lines in answer to two, letters I 
Rec,d from you last night, one dated 
Apr 16th the other the 19th and was glad to 
learn that you was well; I am as 
well as usual; the wether is getting rather 
uncomfortably warm here though it is 
cooler to day than usual; we have not Suffered 
mutch from heat yet; we are Still in 
camp where I last wrote you on the 3rd [illegible] 
but I do not think we will remain here 
but a few days longer; Our forces has 
red 
taken Grand Gulf and about Six hund^ 
prisoners; we Sent 4,50 of them up to 
Millikens Bend day before yesterday 
and we have 1,500 more here at the Landing 
that were Shipped up from Grand Gulf 
last night; Many of the prisoners are good 
looking men and Intelligent enough to 
     be engaged in a better cause 
There was quite a number Killed and 
wounded on both sides at Grand Gulf 
but I have not heard the peticulars 
There is large bodies of our Troops still 
coming down here; and I think there 
will be a move made on Vicksburg 
before many weeks; I have not seen 
Jabe yet I dont know whether Fosters 
Battery was in the fight or not though 
I do not think it was; you said you 
saw Mrs Johnson and that she said She 
meant to pay them notes when Johnson 
Sent her the money I do not think he 
will send her a great deal for he is 
at Memphis in the Hospital trying 
to get his discharge and probably he 
will Succeed: I will probably write to 
Baker if he does not pay them before June 
I saw John Greenman John Smith 
and Hank Allen, of the 8th Reg,t, last 
night, they were well and in good Spirits 
their Reg,t went on down to the Gulf this 
morning; I would not write any more 
if I were you about the Old man Hunt
 as it does not Interest me enough 
to pay for writing it; and I Shall take 
no part in their quarrels; I do not think 
you have time or take time, to Read or study 
your books mutch; as you do not Spell 
or compose but little if any better than 
you did a year ago. I am afraid that you 
do not turn your attention enough in 
that direction to take an interest in it 
I know you have not time to make a bus 
iness of Studying like a person would have 
at School, but there is Scarcely any woman 
unless they have a very large family and 
no help but what has some odd spells of 
leisure time during the day; Even after 
a person has been at work, while setting 
down to rest the body; they can at the same 
time Refresh the mind by reading some 
useful book; a few minutes time well 
Employed at home in Study; is worth a  
whole day Idled away at School; in most 
  find 
all your letters I ^ quite a number of words 
mis spelled; and phrases of uneducated 
people wrote in to Express language
Bad Language and Especially bad spelling 
is the first thing noticed by Educated 
people; to know good language a person 
must Study it and not Borrow it 
from uneducated people that do not 
understand it. you can improve your 
Self mutch by Selecting well written 
peices from books and writing them off 
at the same time pay peticular attention 
to the meaning of Each word and how it 
is Spelled; by frequently writing this way 
you will get it impressed on your memory 
I wrote a little on the Same Subject to you 
Some time ago in answer to which I Rec,d 
a long String of Excuses of being so busy; but 
I did not think them Sufficient Excuses to 
give it up altogether; we may think that 
we already Know as mutch as some other 
folks and think that will do; we must learn 
to Rely on our own Resources and Knowledge 
in our worldly affairs and the better we are 
informed the better we are prepared to meet 
Obstacles		T.J. Davis 
L.M. Davis 
 possessed 
     We Should learn to be self [crossed out] [possed] 
Self Reliant; not too Self important 
Or too weak and giddy; I have known 
married women many of them; who would 
Spend near half their time in visiting  
through the neighborhood and be verry 
prominent in telling how many bad neigh 
bors and how many mean acts She had 
known them to do etc etc and who went 
home with Sally Jones from the last 
meeting; and who got the mitten; and 
who got cut out; and who had lately 
got married, and who was promised to 
be married; and who lately had babies 
and who soon would have one; and a 
thousand and one other things too numerous 
to mention; At the same time had plenty 
of good books at home or could easily get 
them; But did not know whether the 
Earth rolled around or whether it stood 
Still and the moon drove the sun around 
it; or whether the sun was made to obey 
the dog Star by its continual Barking 
Perhaps I have said too mutch on this 
Subject but I do not mean to be 
Stringent, I like to See people aspire 
to learning while they are young and 
can retain it in their minds Epecially 
one that is so near to me as yourself 
I am Ignorant and unlearned my 
Self and I know Enough of Ignorance 
to understand the value of Education 
and Sound Judgement if you pick 
errors in my composition and spelling 
and recite me to it I will take it all 
in good part and try and profit by it 
I Supose that Silva will be Six mos, 
Old to morrow; and will soon begin 
to teeth while teething there is con 
siderable Judgement to be exercised 
with children as well as care 
If in warm weather they should 
not be Kept too warm which is 
a fault with many Mothers for 
teething creates fever more or less; and  
another fault is laying a child
altogether on its back when 
        put in the cradle or bed to sleep 
for when teething there is a druling 
Spittle that ejects from the gums 
and when lying on its back the child 
invariably Swallows it, which is 
Said to be verry poisenous; a child 
when allowed to ly on the floor and sleep 
in its own way will mostly lay on its 
Side or face tho more often on the face 
in that position the Drule will 
run out of its mouth 
Since I commence writing we have 
Rec,d Orders to march we will probably 
Start in the morning I think we 
are going over on the Mississippi side 
to guard a bridge on Black River 
it is getting late and I must close 
take care of yourself the best you 
can I think I will be at home some 
time; I think that Jabes and 
Roberts furloughs have played out 
tell Orla and Mary not to sit 
up nights and [crossed out] [loose] lose sleep 
looking for them for they might 
Stand a chance to take cold and 
then not see them after all 
it is better to take things cool 
especially in hot weather; that 
we may not get overheated in 
the Summer time or get gray 
before we are old 
I Recd a letter last night from 
Sister Elisabeth and one from 
Brother Isaac they were all well 
I thought that Elisabeth would 
have written to before now but she 
has verry bad Eyes and has a great 
many letters to write to friends in 
the army; if I were you thought I 
would not write to them until they 
did to you, I did not think to 
write so mutch when I begun 
but I kept Scribling ahead so the 
Second Sheet is full; Direct as before 
Yous as ever Good Bye Thos J.Davis 
            Lucinda M Davis