July 10th 63  

Our men use the prisoners first rate 

and they are Generally verry Sociable 

with our men; and the more they got 

acquainted with us the higher the 

Yankees raise in their estimation 

Many of our men gave them coffee and 

Tea; and gave many of their boys some 

                                                    Yankee 

of our Kind of money to buy ^ notions 

to carry home with them; They thinks: that 

is; many of them: that the yankees are 

not such a bad lot after all; many of them 

are sick and tired of the war and many 

of them are tired of their cause; and I 

think there is a large number of the 

vicksburg Prisoners that will never 

rejoin the Rebel army: they are all verry 

Anxious to go home to See their folks 

vicksburg was mutch the Strongest 

fortified place that we have ever 

  had to contend with in the west 

I do not think the Rebels have mutch 

hopes of Ever Retaking it 
We hear Erroneous Reports from 

the Potomac the same as you do up 

North: News come down the River 

yesterday evening that Gen Meade had 

whiped Gen Lee and taken 30,000 of 

his men: The news however is too good 

to be believed; but we hope for the truth 

of all good Reports; but certainly if 

the Army of the Potomac allows Lee 

to go back to Richmond without  

Capturing part of his Army they ought 

to lay down their Arms and go home 

They have done good fighting on 

the potomac but have never gained 

 man advantages over the Rebels 

you Say that you hope that I do 

                         you 

not think that ^ do not wish to try 

to improve and make Some body of 

yourself; I only Said that I was 

afraid that you did not take the 

Interest in learning you Should; 

I know that folks as a general rule 

both men and women
After getting married Neglect 

Education altogether and allow 

Children and house Keeping and 

picayunary affairs to occupy their whole 

  attention; or as I Said before Idle 

                 time 

away their ^ in other frivolous ways 

I do not wish you [illegible] to think that I 

compared you to the Characters I Spoke 

of sometime ago; what I wrote was 

merely to Illustrate what you no 

doubt have often Seen yourself 

I [illegible] like to See people visit and Enjoy 

themselves with their neighbors to a 

reasonable Extent; but not to Excess 

I know you have not done mutch visiting 

[crossed out] [Since] or had a chance to do So Since I left 

home; you may perhaps have more work 

     where you are 

to do ^ then I Expected; if you have 

too mutch [illegible] assigned for you to 

do; I do not wish you to do it; I do not 

wish you to overtask yourself for there is 

no necessity; to compel you to work hard 

and I never meant for you to do it 
 I would mutch rather you you would 

  get Some good place that you would 

like to	            for 

^  Stay and pay ^ your Board; than to have 

you do twice as mutch work as your 

                                               then 

board is worth you could ^ work work when 

you chose and have your own time when 

you wished it; after doing your own work 

we, are not dependent on any one for support 

and can pay for what we really need 

I know that you must See Some hard 

times and Suffer a great deal of Suspense 

thinking what the future may bring forth 

I often think of the privations both of 

body and mind that the Soldiers wives 

  have to indure; And they are as mutch 

Entitled to Respect and honor as their 

Husbands in the field; but Alas how 

mutch are they Neglected both in words [crossed out] [of] 

of comfort and deeds of Charity 

   Direct your letters; Direct to Vicksburg Miss 

      I Remain your Ever fond and 

obedient Husband		Thos. J. Davis 

                L. M. Davis