Co C; 18th Regt Wis; Vols 
 
Glendale Miss Sunday; Oct: 11th 1863 
Dear Wife 
I Sit down this morning to write you a few lines in answer 
to your letter dated Sept 27th & 28th which I Rec,d last night 
I was glad to learn that you was well and in good Spirits and 
I hope you may be blessed with good health until I Return home 
My health is Some better than it has been for Several weeks 
past though I am not stout; you must not feel uneasy about 
my health; I have not been really Stout but little of the time 
Since I have been South and [crossed out] [illegible] I don't expect to have 
real good health as long as I Remain here; but I dont 
intend to give up and die as long as I can help it; I always 
have had good hopes of going through the war and getting 
home; but If I did not have any such hopes; I would 
have but little to encourage me to action I was not 
Stout when I come into the service and I have endeavored 
to be as carful of my health as circumstances would permit 
        o 
but in the army there is mutch Exposure that cannot be av^ided 
Robert Mc is Sitting by my side writing to his wife; you said 
that Mrs Mc had Recd a letter from Robert dated Sept 15th but 
you had not recd any from me since the first; I wrote 
to you on the 15th the same time Robert wrote at Helena 
and I wrote two letters to you from Vicksburg since the 
the first of Sept; I think you have Recd several back letters 
from me before this time; Since we come back as far 
North as Memphis I get letters from you nearly in half 
the time; that I got them at Vicksburg; and I hope 
you will get letters quicker and more Regular from me 
Since I had been in the Service? and it did not quite am,t 
to one per week; There has been many times while we 
was marching that I did not have an opportunity to write 
as often as once a week; but a good Share of the time the 
past Summer I have written twice a week; _______ 
this is the 7th letter I have written to you since the 15th of 
last month; and the tenth one that I have had no answer 
from; the wether is cool and pleasent and the nights most 
too cool to be comfortable Standing picket; you said that 
you thought that I must have made more than fifty Dollars 
Speculating if I sent as mutch money home as Robert said 
I had; well I did make more than fifty Dollars; and 
when we get paid again I think I shall have fifty 
Dollars more to Send to you; So you see that I dont spend 
all my wages; like many poor fellows I know of in this 
army; while their families at home are really in need of it 
When I get home I want to be able; so that we can live above 
the hand of poverty which I am Satisfied we can do; and 
I am proud of you to See that you take So mutch Interest 
in laying up; what you get for future use; but I dont wish 
you to be too miserly to keep yourself Comfortable and 
Respectable; I wish you to Keep yourself and the baby 
comfortable Even if takes more than your State pay to do it 
when I get out of the war I think I can soon get myself 
in Shape So that I can make a good farm on some of the 
western prairies; and be as Independent as some of 
our poor Relatives; who would give us kind advice how 
to make a living. and think they was confering on us a 
great favor; I Rec,d a letter last night from Sister 
Elisabeth Ditto She said the folks were all well in that 
part of Ill, She Said that Mother had Returned 
from Ohio; she has been out there on a visit for 
7 or 8 months; She said that mothe Rec,d a letter from 
me Just before She left Ohio and She meant to 
answer it soon; I Expect a letter from David 
Ingersoll soon I wrote to him over a month ago 
I Saw a young man a few days ago who was Just from 
my old Neighborhood in Illinois he said he Seen 
little Charlie and said he was well and full of 
fun and mischief as Ever 
We are still here at Glendale but it is uncertain how 
long we shall remain here; we may go on to Inka or farther 
East in a few days and we may stay here for several weeks 
I dont know when we will get our pay again; the last of 
this month there will be 4 months pay due us 
the most of the men in the Regt are out of money and 
are verry anxious to be paid; I would like to see the 
men get their pay but as for myself: I have Enough 
to last me for spending money; for some time, yet, 
Speculating is all Dried up because the Soldiers are all 
of out of money; the most Speculating I done was by 
making and selling Small [Beer?]; but the wether 
is getting to cool for that Business now; Even if money 
was more plenty; I have not sold any whiskey except 
my rations that I drew and didnt want to drink it 
Selling whiskey for money is an occupation I was always 
  ces 
opposed to: for it generally runs into Such degrading consequen^ 
There is plenty of Persimmons in this part of the country 
they will soon begin to get ripe; they will hang on the Tree 
all winer; I dont Supose you Ever saw any of them; I wish 
I could send you some of them; they would be quite a curiosity 
to many folks in Badax besides they are quite a nice fruit 
          green 
when ripe; but while ^ they will Draw the widest Blubber 
mouth into a whistling attitude in a verry Short time 
by merely tasting them; We dont hear anything from 
Rosencrans Army lately things are working verry still 
[crossed out] [so] we Shall look for Improtant news from that 
quarter soon; a movement is also in progress on the 
Potomac; and will soon look for news from there 
The Rebels Seem to be trying to make a desperate strike 
Some where for they know their cause is growing more 
hopeless every day; So they concentrated their forces on 
Rosencrans with the hope of Destroying his army and breaking 
our advancing colums; Rosencrans lost heavy but So 
     far the Rebels have Suffered the most 
Well Lucinda I dont know of any more news of Importance 
Except that the Lieut Just came along and ordered us 
to Sign the pay rolls which is Some Indication that 
we will get paid before long 
    Well I have written quite a long letter this time 
whether there is mutch Interesting matter in it or not 
Well I guess I will close for this time I have to 
Answer Elisabeths letter to day 
Now I want you to be a good girl and take care 
of yourself the Best you can until I can get a 
chance to come home and See my Sis 
I Remain yours Sincerely and faithfully as Ever 
 			 Thos.J.Davis 
To Lucinda,M,Davis