Pioneer Corps 3rd Div 15thAC 
 
    Whitesburg Ala. February 6th 1864 
Dear Lucinda 
I Sit down this morning to write 
you in answer to your letter dated 
Jan 17th & 20th which I rec'd yesterday 
I was verry glad to learn that your 
health was so good; I hope it may 
continue as good; As for myself my 
helth is better than it has been for 
sometime and I hope by propper 
care to Still improve during the 
Spring: the wether to day is cloudy 
[page torn] and chilly and it rained 
considerably last night: it has 
been pleasent so long that we may 
now Expect some foul [crossed out letter] wether 
I rec'd the postage stamps you 
sent me they come in good time 
for I was Just out of that article 
I was pleased to learn that you
had Recd the [crossed out word] gold pen I sent you 
and I was glad that it suited you 
but I see the ink you used is too 
thick to write well with agold pen 
We are now at whitesburg on the 
Tenn River ten miles south of  
Huntsville we came down [page torn] 
on the 30th of Jan; and have built 
some Small boats and have also 
built some fortifications on the 
North bank of the River; the rebs 
have a fort and some breast works 
right oposite us on the other side 
of the River: we talk with the 
Rebs across the River every day 
the first day we come here we 
was building two boats on the river 
bank and when we had them 
nearly completed the Rebs begun  
to fire at us: and drove us from 
our work: we then took our guns 
and got behind rocks and returned 
the fire until they quit shooting 
we been Exchanging shots nearly 
every day until yesterday we 
agreed not to Shoot at Each other 
across the River: none of our corps 
got hurt by Shooting; I am writing 
by a fire in a deserted Rebel house on 
the bank of the River and I can 
look out [crossed out word] of the door and see the 
rebs walking around their fort. 
I think the Rebel Confederacy will 
Soon Rapidly begin to play out 
Robert Mc and his Recruits had not  
arrived at the Regt when we left Hunts 
ville though they maybe there by this time 
we will probably [crossed out word] Return to Huntsville 
in a few days: I dont Expect to get 
home until my time is out: for I 
will now soon be a nine months [illegible]
and then my time will soon wear away. 
I would have tried to [crossed out word] get a furlough 
this Spring but we are not paid yet 
 and I have nearly a hundred Dolls 
Trusted out among the soldiers until 
pay day: and we may not be paid for 
two months yet: and I want to be 
here so as to collect it when they get 
their pay: I Should like the best 
in the world to come home before my 
time is out if I could [illegible] 
but I should dislike the Idea 
of comeing back so soon: worse than 
to Stay while I am here: but now 
I can begin to see the End; then I 
will be permitted to come home to [illegible] 
And then I dont think I will Ever 
go away and leave you so long again 
you did right in buying that Tax 
certifficate and when I get home 
I will try and have the place relieved 
from Taxes; you wrote that Lia Powell 
got Married and her man had Enlisted 
if he had Enlisted before he married her 
I Should thought him to be more sensible 
L.M. Daivs       T.J. Davis