March 5, 62
   
     Before Fort
        Madrid

Dear Parents
 	I take
	my pen in hand
to drop youe a few lines
to let you know whare
I am, As I wrot you at
Camerce befor we left
that we ecspected to
meete the rebles soon
and so we have, but to
begin with when the reg
iment left I was detailed 
to take charge of a part
of the train. the regiment 
left in the morning and
we in the after noon they
rode to col hunters farm
and lay there over night
the roads was so 
bad that we did not
get thare till the night
but the way we made
reble corn fly wasent
slow and have ever sin
ce
The regiment got here on
the second and on the
next day went out on a 
ride, and rode with two
hundred yard of the 
rebles guns when they
fiered on them and
droped a few shelves into
our lines but hurt no
one thare is about 20
thousand troops there now
and more comeing all
the time how strong thee
rebles is I do not know
the artillery keep ecehong
cing shots last night
between 12 & 1 oclock I
was on guard and thare
was hevey cannonadeing
on both sides we could
see the shells bursting
in the air Thare is a 
going to be a heavy fight
hear in a day or two, We
are just beginning to
soldier it since we left
commerce I have slep two
nights in tents and the rest 
out dores but neve mind
thare is short a head
I suppose you know that
Wm Boohh has ben prom
Oted to ordly and will
soon be second lieute
    nat 
the tranecfer of [illegible]
Pope to our company does
not take well Crain
should have ben first
and Oscar second
lieutenants but it
is so and I [crossed out word] suppose
it will have to go so
You may direct your letters 
to Benton Barracks
as before I have found
that it is the best way 
[crossed out][wirit] write as soon as
you get this and let
me know wheather you
got those shell
No more
Yours truly
          Harrison Traphagen

Direct as before and they
will follow the regiment