Camp at Bridgeport Ala
		Dec 28th 1863
Mr. Tunis Outwater			
		Uncle
Well Uncle s Here goes 
for some more of my 
scrawls and scratches, or
whatever else you choose to
call them. you need not 
expect anything else from
me now for I have nothing
to write. The great exsitement
just now is about reinlisting
The Capt is doing his utmost
to get the Battery home
he has already tryed twise
and failed. but he is at it
again whether he succeeds or
not is more than I can
tell. but I doubt it very much

The only trouble is on
account of the recruits
they cannot reinlist till
they have been out two years
If we had succeeded in our
first effort we would have
been at home in time for
the holidays But we are not 
the only ones reinlisting
the second division have all
reinlisted with the exception
of two regiments and the
most of the first division
have done the same
I think the greatest part
of the the whole army now
in the field will enlist in 
the veteran service
So many of the old troops
are going to reinlist that
I think it will have a 
tendincy to discourage the
rebels more than any

thing else. It is said
that about fifty desert every
day and the most of
them are in [illegible in original]
condition something like
a hundred came in here 
yesterday it was a pretty
'wet cold day some had no 
shoes. some no coats and
some no blankets one of 
them stole a Lieut’s coat
to get through the lines
with. They all express the
belief that their "confederacy
is gone up." Simeon was
just in my tent he says
tell you he is just as fat
and small as ever. of course
he meant as "big as ever"
that is his mistake but
no matter he is fat enough
if that is all. The weather
continues warm and pleasant

you ought to have seen
us christmas night
I tell you we had a big
time. if we did not it
was our own fault
I have just learned that Abe
Cole is a sutler in this
army. but I have not seen
him.
	no more at present
	Louis Harrison Outwater