Co; C. 18th Regt Wis Vols [crossed out] [V] Vicksburg July 24th 1863 Dear Lucinda I sit down this Evening to write you a few lines to inform you that I am as well as usual; I Rec'd a letter from you to day dated July 7 & 8th I was verry glad to hear from you and to hear that you & little Silvie was well I am glad to hear that the Baby is so healthy I think it is altogether likely that I will not know her when I get home and perhaps She may forget me, but I guess She will soon get acquainted again; perhaps I may come home on a furlough by the time She is a year old and by that time I supose that Silvie will begin to walk I wrote to you Several days ago that Thos Decker would Start home on a furlough the Next day but he did not Start until yesterday Evening I intended to have Sent $20, Dollars home by him but I was off with a team Drawing water when his furlough come from head quarters So he Started as Soon as he got it ; we was paid 2, months pay last week; I think I will Express ,20, Dollars to you in a few days; I wrote to you before that I had Some Idea of going home on a furlough this fall. I do not Know as I Shall go but If I get a chance to go when I want to [illegible] I think I shall if I think the war will not be over by Next Spring; if I do come want to start the last of Oct or first of Nov; The Lake Superior Boys arrived here to the Regt last night ; there was 7 of Our company Viz; H. Cleary; Jasper Powell; Nelson Mills; Peter Campbell; Joseph Ross; Harvy Lindly and William Loucks; also Mr Sevenson of Co, D; they all look well and Seemed glad to get back and see the company again; Some of those prisoners Blowed a great deal about the hardships they have Endured Since they were taken prisoners; but after they have been in Active Service in the field as long as the rest of us [crossed out] [I] and been through Such marches in heat mud and Dust; and been do through as many dangerous fights, I ^ not think [crossed out] [they will] [illegible] [I] until then; they will have any room to brag of their [crossed out] [ill trea] hard Treatment and bravery over the rest of the Reg;t; there is two more Shiloh prisoners John Merrill and John Dickson that did not come back; The wether has been verry warm here for Sometime; men cannot Exercise but little in the middle of the day I Rec;d a from Susan Wilson to day dated the 12th Inst; She wrote that her folks was all well; She did not Say anything about Harriets folks She Said She had Just Rec;d a letter from you if Mr Baker Rec;d that letter from me I think he might do So mutch as to tell you what he could do or write and tell me; he Seems to act verry careless about it; if he does not give any Satisfaction on the Subject I am afraid I Shall have to give him Some trouble about it I Shall not Receive any Wild Cat [illegible] money that cannot be trusted over night; if I was at home where I could use[?] money and Knew what money was good; it would be some different I See in many cases how; Loyal union men assist Soldiers wives; though perhaps Baker thinks you are not in need of money but that is none of his peticular Business; I do not like to be hard on any person that I think intends dealing on the Square I have not heard from Jabez Since I wrote to you before I do not know where he was taken I Should be verry sorry indeed if your mother had gone Crazy again I was in hopes She had got intirely over it; Peaches are now getting ripe; Tomatoes and Roasting Ears are now fit for use; but there is So many of us here [crossed out] [that] and the country around Vicksburg So badly over run; that we cannot get many vegetables to use; I hope by next Summer that I will be up north where I can raise my own Garden Sauce; Port Hudson was taken by Gen Banks on the 8th Inst So with Several thousand Prisoners; So now the [illegible] Mississippi River is Open to Yankee Boats from Itaska Lake to the Gulf of Mexico and I dont think the Rebs will Ever be able to get another Strong Position on the River; I think I Shall get my likeness taken again and Send to you; but I do not want any gun or Cartrage Box about it; I have Soldiered So long that Guns has ceased to be an ornament of attraction to me unless I wished to look like a Savage Though Some people think it makes a man look brave and sedate; but I have seen So many coward that can never be got into a Battle; getting their likenesses taken with their guns that it almost Disgusts me to See a picture taken with a gun I have Recd two letters from Burnett Since last winter I have been looking for another one from him for sometime but I think he is almost ashamed to to write back to the Regiment The Rebel Gen Joe Johnson has Evacuated and left Jackson and I dont know where he is gone I dont think he will Stop verry near Jackson to Stand us another fight; there is now a large number of our troops now coming in from Jacks and Some of them are going down the River I think We will probably Remain here the rest of the Summer: we are Kept pretty Seadily [?] on duty here but I would rather do that than to march this hot weather Friday July 25th 1863 Well Lucinda I am going on picket this morning So I will finish my letter and put it in the office before I Start Alvin Caul kins Rec,d a letter from home of July 9[?]th he says the folks are well Alvins Leg is getting about well he is doing duty again; I dont hear anything from Ike Odell I dont know where he is, Well Lucinda I Rec,d a good long letter from you yesterday So I will Send you a long one in Return if there Is,nt mutch in it I dont Know of any more news to write this time So I will close write often; and tell how the crops are etc. etc. I Remain yours Always Thos. J. Davis Lucinda M. Davis