Co; C; 18th Regt; Wis. Vols  

     Vicksburg Miss Aug 14th 1863 

                           Dear Wife 

I Recd your letter last night dated July 30th  

And was Rejoiced to Read that you was well 

therefore I while away a leisure hour this 

Afternoon in Answering your letter 

I am as well as usual at this time 

though the Regt is not quite So healthy now as 

it has been the fore part of the Summer 

the wether is still verry warm and we do 

not look for any cool wether until the 

middle of Next month: We have a light 

Shower of Rain Every day or two but Still 

the wether clears up hot I am afraid there 

will be considera ble sickness this month 

and next though I do not feel mutch 

uneasy about myself for I think I can take 

care of myself So as to prevent Sickness 

unless Some contageous disease gets in camp 

I Rec,d a letter from your Mother a few days ago 

dated July 25th Tell John I will write an 

Answer to his letter Soon: I Rec,d a letter a few  

days ago from Elisabeth Ditto She says the folks 

are all well: I have not heard from Jabe since 

I wrote to you before Ed; Crandall saw 

Levi Noble in Town yesterday; he said that 

Levi had a furlough and was going to start 

home on the first up River Boat I went 

down Town to day to see him but I could not 

find him for I wished to send some money 

with him: I Supose that, Thos Decker has 

about Started back for his Regt by this time 

furlough Business goes Slow there will be a few 

more men furloughed from this Regt the last 

of this month but not more than one or two to the Co 
                              Aug 15th  

All the Head Quarter Pimps and Vagabonds 

[crossed out] [will first] who never do any duty for government 

or any body Else; Except to Kiss Officers [illegible] 

which they have learned to do with neatness and  

dispatch for the Sake of gaining their peticular 

favor; will first get furloughs before any 

decent Soldiers will get a chance to go home 

for my own part I have not Asked for a furlough 

yet And if I get one at all I do not wish 

to start home until Oct or Nov If there is a 

prospect of the War Ending Soon I would Rather 

wait until the war is over It would afford me 

mutch pleasure to go home on a furlough but the 

time is so short that I would be permitted stay; 

I fear the Reluctance with which I would 

Return would Overballance the pleasure that 

my visit at home would afford me; if I go 

home this fall I would like to stop in Ills 

and see little Charlie; for I have not seen him 

Since two years ago last April and some 

times I almost feel ashamed for the inattention 

I have Seemed to pay toward him though I 

know him to have a good home and well cared 

for; The wether to day Still continues warm 

[illegible] with some prospect of rain again 

there is no fresh news in camp to day 

We Expect to hear of Military movements at 

Mobile Soon as there has a large portion of 

our forces gone from here to Mobile Alabama; 

I have no more news of importance to write 

this time So I will Close 

               By Ascribing Myself yours as usual 

                                              Thos J Davis 

               To Lucinda M. Davis