[Written on the top and around sides of Scan 1]

Now as
this is full
I must
close I
hope I 
shall soon
get a good
long letter
from you
hoping
this will
find you
all well
as it leaves me I will
sign myself your
Affectionate Son
B.F. Marsh   Mrs. H.O. Holmes    Good Bye for the
night  Dear Mother

[End]

	Head Quarters, 8th Mich
		Camp at Nicolesville
	Kentucky Aug 24th 1863

		Dear Mother I recd
another of your ever welcome
and comforting letters this
morning and take the first
oppertunity of answering it
I was happy to hear that
you wer all well at Home
and glad to inform you
that yours found me in
good health and high
spirits as things look so
bright and clear ahead
I can see, or think I can at
least, the brighter days
ahead when Old Sesesh
will be no more then we

[Written upside down on top and side of Scan 2]

Spaulding to winter her for you
    suit yourself and I am suited
            you are running the ship
	now you know  

[End]

can return Home it seems
like a short time to me
now. I hope it seems as 
short to you as it does to 
me. Our Regt has ben out
now over two years so it
is only one short year
more at the most and
I am not at all alarmed
about our staying that time
still we may have to do
it but our part of the
fighting is done I think
as our Regt is getting so
small. and in fact our 
Corps. the Corps is all
reported unfit for duty
it being so small, our
Regt muster less than five
hundred now. Our Co
mustered for Pay yesterday

[Written upside down on top of Scan 3]

as for the Hay Mother do just as
you think best if you can get it
cheap buy it and if not get Mr

[End]

and we only mustered, 23,
men. this morning we
only reported nine men
for duty the rest are
all Sick but none of them
very sick. Spaulding is in
the Hospital but is doing 
well. [written faintly] [E] E M Havey is quite
sick with the Mississippi
fever.. as for Will Shaw
he is in Cincinnati in
some Hospital. I am not
sure what one but I think
he is in West end Hospital
at least George Carnes is
and I think they are togather
at least I think their
folks will be safe in
Directing to West End Hospital
		Cincinnati Ohio

[Written upside down on top of Scan 4]

Tell Mrs. [Hathaway?] I cant find any one of that name in our
                                                      regt I think thare is none such

[End]

your letter I recd this morning was in answer to the one
I sent Grandpas letter in I am looking for another one
from them now every mail which I will send Home
for I suppose you like to read them if they are written
to me.      I recd a letter from Mary [illegible] saturday
 which I must answer today for Mary writes a very good
letter and I like to hear from her. she sent me a piece
about Henry [Leornard?]. I dont know what to think
about it he may be dead but I should not let the
thing worry me if I was his forlks for he may be all
right yet. I recd also the account of [Prof?] Ayers
Great Baloon Assention. a big thing that in War time
it is a great pity he had not landed down in Dixie
some place among the Rebs he is such a man of
Fame they stand in great need of such men as he is
as they are about played out so is he
	Well Mother it is now evening and I will pen you a few
more lines. I was call on to do some duty when I was
writing today and had to leave I have just come off
duty have ben out from Camp after a load of [wood?]
and a [illegible letter] Coffin for one of Our Regt, one, of Co. A.

[Written upside down on top of Scan 5]

I thought they wer better spunk
than that

[End]

I dont know his name have
not heard it yet. I recd a
letter from Ed, today he is
in rather poor Health it seems
I hope he will recover soon
they are at Murfresburough now
I have a letter which I cut
out off a paper written by one
of their boys telling what a
hard time they had when
they went from Nashville
    how they had to live on
hard Bread and Bacon with
			              d
Coffee. and sleep on the groun     
in a clover field without any
tents and got a little wet
I wish they had ben with 
us on our march out to
Jackson, we wer out twenty 
days in all kinds of weather 

[Written upside down on top of Scan 6]

letter from a Michigan man

[End]

without any tents. for, Instance
our second night on the march
it commenced raining a little 
before dark and we wer on a
Clay road. and a darker night
I new Saw. the rain fell in
a perfect torrent and we had
to keep marching until the
mud and water was up to
our boot tops and still it 
rained. when we went into
an open field to camp for the
night it kept raining a little 
all night and we laid on
the ground with our oil Blanket
over us. I made me a bed of two
rails laid on the ground then I
laid my self on them for a 
short rest for it was then
about twelve. Oclock. I awoke in
the morning and was on duty

[Written upside down on top of Scan 7]

I dont know but I am giving 
them a hard one but it makes
me spunky to read such a

[End]

the next day until four Oclock
when we marched again and
so it went, and when we wer
out to Jackson on the Advance
past in the rifle Pits we
had to go out and stay 48,
hours and that with two
hard bread to aman without
any Coffee, for it was dangerous
for the Cooks to get to us,
as the Rebs wer throwing Grape
and Canister over our heads
all the time and thought they
wer raking us all the time
when we wer all safe. Why
the 10th dont know what hard
[times?] is, they will do very
well for Bandbox or feather
Bed men, if that is all they
can stand without complaining

[Written on the right side of Scan 7]

Direct to Cincinnati Ohio

	[End]


[Written upside down on top of Scan 8]

Mrs H J Holmes [crossed out] [Mrs H]

	[End]

now Mother you must manage
things just as you think best
at Home how do you get along
as for the Boxes if I wer
you I should write to Ed
and ask him what to do
for Box money ask him if
he wants you to let
one of the lots go for
Boxes or if he can send
the money to Pay them and
see if it wont set him
thinking about matters some
                     but dont suffer for
any thing use my money if
you need it every thing
goes well with me
yet and I trust it will
    Give [my?] respects to all
enquiring Friends Love 
to you all Frank Marsh

PS   B  F  M
I have not had a letter from 
Alvah in two months I guess he
has forgotten me. my Boots are all
right Mother keep them as I want them
for this fowl in the mud I will
write for them when I want them
and I want you to send me one
 of my Vests the everyday one
as I shall want it for Winter
but I dont want them yet for 
I cannot carry them we are going
to move down to Crab Orchard
in a few days about 40 miles
from here then they say they
are going to let us rest for a
While. you said you was Writing
Sarah [Washing?] and Freddy getting
[grass?] for the cow I can see just
how you look at Home yes I
can almost imagine how
myself thare. Happy I
			Frank