[Written sideways on top of Scan 1]

I supose you are
getting along first-
rate with your
school just as you
always do
I wish you would
write long letters
for I have plenty 
of time to read
them the prospect
is now that we
shall leve this
camp before
long we ware
paid of Sunday
and it makes
good times in
camp to day
thare has a lot
of new clothing
come so that
we can dress
up again & 
look decent
	O.E.G.

	Camp Bayrd's July 28th /63

     Dear Lucy
		your letter maild
the 21st I received the 25th the
reason I did not answer it right
of was that I had writen to you
			           u
the day befor & thought I wo^ld
write every day I am glad to
get letters now days for the
time passes away slow just
as it always does when I have
not much to do you say you
have not heard from me in
most five week I have writen
4 letters to you in that time
we have been one the move
most all of the time untill
within a few days & have not had a very

good chance to write I have thoughts
of you often enough if you have
not heard from me.
you said please let you know if
 had
I ^ concluded to take a Secess
Girl so that you could make
some other arrangements.
Well that is cool and as you ware
          suppose
honest ^ in asking the queston
I will answer it
I have seen some first-rate
looking Girls down hear but have
not had much chance to get
	           them
acquanted with ^ & I dont think
thare is much danger of my
			   not
loseing myself for I have ^ sen
	    suited me much better than
anything that ^ what I have seen
in Mich.
I think likely you could do
better to make some other
arangements for the prospects is
	       us
that what of ^ lives to go through
this war will come out rather
rough you would think so if you could see us

if you should conclud to make
some change please let me 
know, I beleive that was according
to agreement, it was a thing I
had not thought of untill I received
you letter & it has not troubled
me much since I guess I
have said enough about that for
this time and perhaps to much
     I am sitting here in the
shade writing we have one of
the nicest camping grounds
I ever saw the shade is so
thick that the sun cant get
in much most of our company
are out on picket I dont have
to go very often lately not
quite so often as when I was high
Private it seems asthough thare
was some little prospect of the
war closing within 3 or 4 months
it may not I am bound to
stick it through if I am well
I guess I should enlist again if I was discharged 
					            now

what a change in things in the last
month when we left Murfreesboro the
Rebs hold Shelbyville .. Tulahoma Winchester
and all along the Cumberland River
now it is hard to find whare their
lines are they are broken in so many
places they have had evacuate Vicksburg
fort Hudson Lee has been completely
routed in Penn.. & I hope Charleston
will give in before you get this if
it has not all ready I dont suppose
the army of the Cumberland get as
				 a
much credit for making old Br^gg
run as they would if they had
fought a hard Battle with him
and beaten him all the reason
we did not fight him was because
he would not fight he made good
time running and all that saved his
Army was so much wet weather
the roads ware so bad that one
could not move very fast
[illegible in original] the boys from our way are all well
Frank is writing at Head Quarters Jim.. Delaforce
sits writing right in sight of me who he
is writing to I dont know for he is mighty
shy he took the trouble to come and ask
me who I was writing to he found out a
goodeal by me but not enough to hurt
him hoping this will find you feeling
as well as it leves me. I will stop Yors Trully
				Othniel