Co C 18th Regt; Wis, Vols 
Memphis Tenn Oct 2nd 1863 
Dear Wife 
     I take up my pen this morning to write you a few lines 
in answer to your letter Dated Sept 16 & 17th which I Recd 
yesterday and was verry glad to hear that you was well 
I have not Rec,d a letter from you before since the 16th of Sept  
and it was dated the 2nd there is probably one letter you 
have written that I have not Rec'd it probably went on 
down to Vicksburg but it is time that it should come back 
we are still at Memphis but it is uncertain how long 
we will Remain here some Reports Say we are going to 
Chattanooga and others say we will Soon return to  
Vicksburg but our Regimental Officers know but little 
more about it than I do It makes but little differance 
where we are for our three years is going on all the while 
We can get mail quicker and more regular here than we 
could at Vicksburg and if I had my choice I would Some 
Rather remain here the Ballance of my time; but military 
afairs are uncertain and full of changes and we must 
learn to take things as they come; the wether is now cool and 
pleasent and the nights are are too cool for comfort for we 
left our Tents at Vicksburg and only brought one Blanket 
Each to Keep us warm out Door but our Tents and Knapsacks 
will probably be here to day or Tomorrow? The health of the  
Regt is mutch better than it was a month ago; my health 
is only moderate; part of the time I feel verry well; and again 
for Several days I dont feel So well again; but I go to the 
      Doctor as little as possible 
In your letter you Said that Jabe & [his?] wife and 
yourself went over to the Store and got Weighed 
But that was all you said about Jabe being at home 
you Say that you weighed 132 lbs Well that is considerable 
less than you weighed when I left but perhaps you may 
feel Just as well for you was quite fleshy then; 
a reasonable amount of flesh is necessary for strength 
and vigor but too mutch is a Burden to a person and 
worse than useless I think Probly you was heavier 
when I left home than you will ever be again 132 lbs is 
a verry good weight for a woman at any rate. I have not 
been weighed for Several days I dont think I weigh 
any more than 144 lbs yet; but I think I will begin to 
flesh up Some Shortly; you Said Oct. would soon be 
around and then you would begin to look for me home 
and you did not want to look until the last of November 
before I come. I do not wish to disappoint you and I have 
never given you mutch Encouragement that I Should 
be certain to come home this fall; at all. It has been over a month 
now Since any furloughs have been granted in our Regt. 
and we have no more orders from Head quarters to grant 
any more as yet and I am not certain that any more 
furloughs will be given this fall; but if I get an oppertunity 
it is probable that I will come but Dont look for me until 
you are sure that I am coming or until you see me 
I am Sure you do not wish to see me wors than I wish to come 
but as it is I Endevor to take the world as it comes; you 
wanted to know how I like my Officers as to that I dont Know 
as it would be propper for me to give the peticulars of private affairs 
Some of them are gentlemen and many of them are not 
but I always do my duty and ask no favors of them 
Four days more and it will be two years since we was 
married although I have been the most of that [crossed out] [time] period 
yet the time Seems Short but I hope I will be with 
you more in the Next two years than in the two years 
past; I Rec,d another letter from Sarah McLain I will 
Send it to you and it will tell its own news 
Since commenced writing Some of our boys that was 
left at vicksburg Just come and says all our Tents 
and Knapsacks are at the Landing they will all be 
brought up this Evening I will look for that add 
letter from you when the things come up 
We have three months pay now due us and probably 
we will get two months in a week or two if we 
Remain here that long; the most of the boys are Straped 
and clean of money and wishing the pay master every 
day many of the officers as well as privates have been 
runing to me to Borrow money; I dont allow myself 
to get out of money Entirely; I generally Keep Enough to 
Buy all Necessaries that I need and have a dollar or  
two in my pocket on pay day; Since we come to 
Memphis again it seems as though we was getting 
pretty well back towards home and I think more 
about going home now than I did when we was at 
Vicksburg; if we could go home from here [crossed out] [it] we could 
Save Six or eight days in going and coming less than 
we could from vicksburg 
Well I dont know of any peticular news to write 
that would Interest you more than I have written 
if Jabe is at home I Should think he might have 
afforded to write me a line and let me know that 
he was Still alive at any rate; if nothing more 
I Rec,d the Letter that you wrote Speaking of Johnson 
paying that other note I Supose you will have the 
money I Sent you from Helena by the time you get  
this letter; 
     With Thes lines I will close for the present 
I will write again in a few days 
I Remain yours as Ever 
      Thos J Davis 
     Lucinda.M.Davis 
 
      "When Shall our hopes be realised; for which we went to war 
   And left our friends and families; away from us so far 
   When Shall the cannons mouth be closed; and peace reign again Supreme 
   How Joyous is the Soldiers heart; to think of Such a theme 
        T.J.D.