Silver Springs
	Tenn Tuesday Nov
	    Nov 18 1862
dear sister I take this cha
nce to write to you to let
you know that I am
well at this date except
that I have got the rheu
matism in my back
and hip so bad that
I can not hardly walk
or get up & when I lie
down and it has rained
for the last two days and
we have not got our tents
and are exposed to the rain
and cold there is a camp
in my back now I dont
		       ke
know but it will ma^
a cripple of me Nelson and
Joseph is writing to their

folks well Mary I will tell
you what we are doing here
and what we have done we have
chased the rebels out of Ky
into. Tenn.. and are on the po
int of a heavy battle at
Murfresborough about eight
miles from here but I dont
think that I shall be in 
it as I am lame I wish I 
could aletter from you
last week dated Oct 29
I got seven at that time the
mail is very irregular on 
account of our marching
in so many directions
but they will be [illegible in original]
			    l
better after this as the rai^
road is running through
to Nashville in ashort
time & you wanted me
to tell you how I fare
here and what I had to eat

well here goes first I have
the ground for a [illegible in original] bed
and the Heavens for a cover
			       ly
which has leaked prety bad^
for the last two days. to
much for th rheumatism
and to nourish the body we
			   ad
have bacon and hard bre^
the bacon is not as good as rusty
pork and if I had the
crusts of bread that you throw
away here to eat I would be
thankful but then we
have got good appetities
and get along very well
the men are complaining
of having colds well sis
			    k
I guess that you will thin^
that I am homesick but I am
not for the news of the
removal of McLellan is cheer
ing to me I think that there
is some prospects of the war

being closed up in the
course ofone year from this
time generaly Rosencrants is 
			    is
driving things along in th^
department in a hurry the
rebbels are skedadling out of
our way as fast as we came
to them we will have
them out of this state
in a short time if it
dont get to mudy for
us to travel we can Just
whip the whole rebbel
army in two weeks if they
will stand and fight us
I suppose Charles has got
home by this time has he not
well Mary I must draw
to a close Mary I want you
to bake some potatoes and
set your table put on some
butter and make some [illegible in original]
warm biscuit and let your
meal consist of baked potatoes
warm biscuit butter preserves
pumpkin pie some tea and set
down and think of me eating
bacon and hard bread and sleeping
out doors     Andrews Ferdon