Head Quarters,
Com. A, Fourth Reg. Michigan Vol. Cav.
     Camp, Fourth Mich. Cav. June 18th, 1863.
     Dear Lucy
(dont comence this with out you have got a) I received your
(goodeal of patince)
letter of the 8th last night when we
got in from a scout we had been out
about 48 hours was not out of our
saddles more than 5 hours in that
time we rode more than 80 miles in
that time the report come into camp
that the reble morgan was at Lebenon
about 30 miles from here our Brigade was
orderd out wel left camp about 4.oc'lock
in the afternoon about fr 15 hundred for
Lebenon halted just before getting to the town
for it to come day light whe we moved
into te town found the Rebs had left
about two hours before & had gone towards Alexandre

which is 18 miles from Lebenon we come
upon the rear guard of them about 10 miles
out when skirmishing comenced our company
in the advance we chased the about 5
miles when we halted for thare seame-
-ed to be a large force in our front
they fired upon us from every thicket we
returned the fire wounding a number on 
both sides we ware ordered back a little
ware to feed a rest our horses pickets [illegible in original]
thrown out in front we ware laying in the
shade our horses a feeding when all at
once a half a dozzen gunes go of & our pickets
come runing in to camp the rebles close
after them it did not scare us very much 
for we are used to such actions
Major Mix calls out. Co. A. mount
your horses which is done in double
quick time & out we go we run them
back into their lines when we return
to our camp calulating to stay thare
till morning if nothing hapens
we just get ourhorses hitched whe boom
goes
^ 3 or 4 canon from a hill in front of us
here is a fix for us the bugle sounds to
horse we have no artilery withe us ther
report come in that they are trying to
souround us we found out it was true
thare was about 4 thousand of them
with 6 or 7 pieces of artilery they had got
in our rear and planted two cannon on
a bridge that we had crossed in the
mornig it seemd as though we ware in a
tight place we could not stand much of
a chance to fight them for they had
artilery & we had none we was orderd to
retreat just after dark we left our
camp took a different road from what
we come on in the morning it was cross
lots and over the mountains through the
woods some of the roughfest road I ever saw
the rebles found out we ware getting
away from them and followd up close
to our rear guard kept firing on us all
night we rode on a canter most of the time

we got to a place of safty just a
day broke when we stope to rest you
better beleive we ware tired and sleepy having
Slept none for two nights we [illegible in original] our
			          oil
horses in line and spread our ^ blankets
one the ground a layd down tying 
our horses to our writst we Slept about
two hours when we started for camp got
here all right we done some tall
sleeping last night & we feel allright
this morning this was the first time we
have ever run for rebles and we should 
not of done it now if we had had
our
^ Battery withe us old Morgan thought he
had us shure but we playd one of
his old tricks it will learn him to look
out when Col.. Minty & the 4th Mich
are around   .   Roseincrans is sending a
good many troops to reinforce Grant at
Vicksburg so I guess we shant make
any forward movemet right away 
				me
it make but little difference to ^ when
we move as I am ready for anything
that comes along in the shape of rebels (I will stop here)

[Penciled in on top of Scan 5 [1863, June 18] ]



I have made out to scrible the other
	           over
sheet of paper ^ and will write a little
more one this we are having some of
the nicest kind of weather the heat
does not trouble me any worse than it did
in Mich.. thare is two or three hours in
the midle of the day that the sun
comes down very hot if we are in 
camp we can lay in the shade if
we are one a scout we can stand
it as long as our horses and some
of our officers seam to have as much
care for them as us. we have a very
good Captain now his name is Leach
he looks out well for his men & 
he wants them to mind their own
buisness that I can do as well as
any of them. harvisting is most through
with [hear?] blackberries cherries wild
plums are ripe Peach trees are loaded
down with fruit they are not ripe yet

Lucy I guess we could agree one
war matter I was glad to here you
speak out what you thougt
I am willing to fight for the Constitution
& the Laws as the [ware?] befor the ware
broke out I dont like to have quite
as much niger mixed in as some
do.  I dont beleive we shall ever
succedd in puting down this Rebel-
-in without keeping within bounds of the
old laws which I ernstly hope our
leaders will do it seems to me as
though they ware breaking over a little
now
^ all we can do is to hope for the best
and trust to the Ruler of all things
for better times to come.
I suppose I enjoy myself as well
as most anyy soldier yet I would
like to return Home I hope them
men that say they wont enlist will
be compeld to yet it is a goodeal
worse to stay at home and dread it
than it is to come and fight a
little & show the world that you are not afraid
to do it

   I think that G.W.F spreads it on
rather thick all though that is
a very good account of our doings
after we left Nashville thare is another
[illegible in original] I know that is if our Brigade
gets in to a tight place our General
trusts the 4th Mich a goodeal more
than some of the other regiments
to get out of it I wont say
any more about that for fear
you will think I am braging
you wanted to no if James. D.
was much scick I dont think he
is as he is on duty I have not
heard him complain at all
and I guess I should if he had
of been scick for he lives the next
door but one to me and our doors
are not a great ways apart
Frank is well and is enjoying
himself first rate I guess I will
stope writing you need not be 
afraid of troubling me withe long
letters for I have lots of time to read them

[Written on the right-hand side of Scan 7]

I sent you a paper the other day  Othniel