Camp Benton St Louis. Missouri
			Dec  3. /61

     Dear Friend I Seat myself to inform
you that I am well at present
and hope that these few lines
will find you enjoying the
Same blessing we arrived here
after a long time there was
more than two hundred Steam
Boats on the Mississippi
river before St Louis    We crossed
on the Steamer Illinois the
River is about one mile wide
at St Louis it runs at the rate
of Seven miles an hour we was
on the cars three days and three
nights  there is 60,000 men
here and at this camp and within
eight miles of here old ben
McCullough  Swears he will winter
his men in this camp or in hell
if he comes here he will be apt
to winter in hell himself
there is one or two men Shot
here evry night by the guard

there was a man Shot here
dressed in womans cloths
he was a Spy the Guard
told him to halt but he
would not and the Guard
shot him dead on the Spot
there is 60,000 men at Springfield
Missouri they expect a battle there
evry day there was 55 Privates
and one Captain of the Southern
army taken prisoners here yesterday
they was taken to St Louis and
put in prison Jim. Woodruff Sent
Will a picture of Camp Benton
and I thought I would Send
you the picture of the fair ground
  the next one I wright I will
Send you the picture of St Louis
from the River well I guess
  I have wrote all of the news
  So I will bring my
    letter to a close
Direct to Company B third

     Reg. Mich. Cavalry
	  Camp Benton

          St. Louis Missouri

    them prisoners were taken at
    Sandy Creek I forgot to
mension it before

      So now Good bye

      and believe me your
      ever affectionate friend
			        d
		Theodore.Dou