Camp Detachment 52d
Regt O.V.I. Oct 26th [1862]

Dear Father
		It is now
two Oclock in the morning
& I start in half an
hour for the regt in
half an hour, so I have
not time to write much.
The regt is at Lebanon
70 miles from here.
Brent will not give me
permission to go so I
shall take a squad of

twelve trusty men who
want to get to the regt
& go on my own responsibility
I know I am violating
regulations in so doing
but the boys would go strug-
gling along if I did not
go with them, for they are
bound to go & If they
were to go one & two together
they would get bagged by
guerillas by of which the
country is infested.
They are only small bands
however & unorganized,
being composed of secesh
inhabitants living along
the road, who sally out
& attack stragglers &
waggons which loiter behind
the trains.

We shall go well armed 
& I do not feel afraid
of twice our number of
men mounted & armed 
as they are. I have boxed
up all my clothing except
what I am to wear &
expressed them to you &
will put the receipt in 
this letter. I never do any
washing when on a march
& consequently had more
clothing on hand than I
want to be troubled
with on a forced march
such as I intend to make.
For some unknown reason
our brigade has made a
retrograde movement of
about forty miles, & I am
inclined to think that it

is to take the Louisville
& Nashville rail-road
at Lebanon for Nashville
& so get ahead of Bragg
& cut off his retreat.
If my surmise is correct
I would not miss being
with them for anything
so I am bound to go
Court-martial or no court-
martial, direct as usual
to Louisville to follow the
regt & write soon. I sent
a watch to you a few days
since. Is care Osborn & [illegible in original]
let me know if you get
it. I wrote you at the time
& sent the receipt 
		[illegible in original]
		Horace