Pioneer: Corps: 3rd. Div; 15th .A,C_________ Bridgeport: Alabama; Dec 21st 1863 Dear Wife. It is with great pleasure that I take my seat on my bunk this Evening with a Bayonet for a candle Stick to write you in answer to your letter of the 30th of Nov and 2nd Inst and I was glad Indeed to hear from you (for letters come verry slow here) but I was Sorry to hear you was So unwell I hope however that your Illness did not last you long; and that you are well Er'e this: My health is about the same as when I last wrote the Dyspepsia Still trouble some but I feel tolerable well other wise and like you I have been Troubled with the tooth ache Ever since I was at Chattanooga I have two teeth that are aching and both of them could be pluged and do good Service I think if I could get a good Dentist to work at them, but there is no Dentist here so I will try and get along with them the best I can until I get where there is one; If you have not had your tooth Drawn yet you had better get it Examined and if it can be saved by a Dentist you had better have it done if you hope to go to viroqua or Lacrosse to get it done; The 18th Reg,t with the rest of the 1st Brigade left here for Stevenson this morning; and we (the pioneer Corps) have orders to follow tomorrow morning at. 8,O,clk and I supose that our Division will go to Huntsville and we will probably be stationed along the R.R. the Remainder of the winter Well Lucinda I have not Burned any of your letters since the one I mentioned before; but I still I Remember the most that was in it; Now I did not mean to hurt your feeling by what I wrote I always Endeavored to write to you in a plain and candid manner though Some times perhaps I write too plain; at that time I was quite unwell and was Easily put out of patience; The first time you wrote to me you said that old Mr Hunt wanted to Borrow $15,00 Dollars to pay Stevenson as he had a [illegible] Mortgage on a pair of Steers and that he wanted to lift the Mortgage and give you a Mortgage inturn and asked me what I thought about it; and So I told you; and then you wrote that you let him have 25,00 Dollars to pay Taxes in the Land and he wanted you to take a mortgage on the same steers So I thought it looked like twisting the thing around a little: the old man never Seemed to have any Dispo sition to accommodate me and and I always thought there was not mutch prospect of him Ever doing mutch for anybody or himself either: as for your Mother or John I am willing to help them to anything they may need; but I will use all the means in my power to keep Mr Hunt from getting that place into his own hands; but I dont know Exactly what condition as to Taxes the Land is in If you dont know you had better get Robert Mc to see about it while he is at home; I wrote to you not to loan any money unless it was in cases of Extreme charity; for I knew that if you commenced to loan any money and folks found out you had any; that you would soon have more customers than you could Supply; So I thought best not to loan any you said that you had sent for your state money again and that you was going to replace [crossed out] [the] with it the $25 Dollars you loaned? Now I dont want you to do any such thing; I hope you do not think I am so narrow hearted as to grudge you what money you need; I always told you to use Enough money to keep you comfortable; and it is my wish for you to do so [crossed out] [if] Even if it required all that I could send you; but as we are poor; if there is any left prudence require us to save it; I consider what is your Interest; is also my own; and what is my Interest; is yours; And you; I consider the greatest Earthly Interest I have; let the $25. Dollars go to grass; I have two or three more $25.s. in my pocket I could send you if you but needed them? I feel [crossed out word] proud to say that ^ few women have been as prudent as you have: [crossed out] [with] Especially with your Experience; And I hope we may yet live many happy days together after so long a time of Suspece and anxiety; And what I may have said to you; or asked of you; that is unreasonable: ungenerous; or unkind; I most humbly ask your pardon; and when I get home I will let you whip me for being a bad boy if you wish: I sent to Louisville 3, or. 4, days ago for a gold pen for you I give the man your address and told him to send it to you by mail from there; Ink wants to be thin; writing fluid is the best to use with a gold pen; if you get it let me know if it is a good one; well it is getting late and I must close for to night; and I supose we will go to Stevenson before I finish this letter T.J. Davis [Written upside down on top of Page] If you can get Stamps handy I wish you would send me some Stevenson: Ala: Dec. 23rd 1863 Well this morning finds me at Stevenson; we Broke up house keeping and Burnt most of our furniture yesterday morning and lef Bridgeport We will Stay here to day while a pontoon Bridge is being laid across Duck River so that we will probably proceed on towards Huntsville to morrow I feel verry well to day after my days march yesterday the mud is verry deep in places and makes slow march ing with heavily loaded wagons; it is cool and cloudy to day and has some appearence of Snow; You asked me what was the cause of my leaving my Company; or if I was compelled to go into the Pioneer Corps; I left n the compa^y with my own free will because it was my choice; I would mutch rather be here than in the Reg,t for I have more natural Exercise in the day time and less Exposure at night; I have no guard to stand here and no Drilling to do and less restricted by orders; while in the Reg,t I would have to stand picket from once to three times a week; and I feel better to do two days work than to stand one disagreeable night on picket It is not hard work here sometimes there is several days that we will not have anything to do. It is quite fashionable for men to do so myself the rest of my time; Though I never was so successful at Kissing Officers A - - -S's for Small favors as some others no more worthy than myself; my paper is out; Good Bye Thos.J.Davis To Lucie. M. Davis