[Written sideways on top of Scan 1]

You say you have been to our house and
made a visit hope you had a good time
I would like to make a short visit
thare myself. tell Hatt. she must
not get discouraged if that fellow
does disapoint her once in a while
not if he is a first rate fellow
& I suppose he is of course. I dont
know as I can taste that apple
you eat for. me. I tasted some
the other day at ten cents apeace
wate till next winter if nothing
happens I will pay apples and
all other goodthings for this.
if I catch a cold from your letter
it will be the first since leving
home we dont have colds to amout
to anything in this sunny clime
hoping this will find you enjoying
yourself I will close  Othniel

	Camp 4th Mich. Cavalry
	     Near Gravelly Springs Ala.
			Febuary 22d /65
     Dear Lucy
		   the mail come
last evening for the first time
in six days & brought me a
letter from you & now I 
            and
will try ^ pen a few of my 
thoughts to you the last letter
before this was on the eighth
of this month I have writen
two to you this month I have
been very buysy most of the
time have hardely had time
to write letters we have drill
twice a day now dismounted in

the fornoon & mounted in the
after noon it is raining this
morning & I guess we shall
get rid of drill today
we have had pleasant weather
along back the roads have been
dusty. any one is comfertable with
his coat of warmer than you
have been having in Mich.
the time has passed for the
draft to come of & I suppose
some of them poor felows who
have been trembiling so long
have got their [illegible in original]
(O how I pity them) poor
fellows got to leve their feather
beads and soft bread & try
soldirs life it is rather hard
but I suppose it is fair,
after all it is worse to think
of it than to go and do it
thare is a goodeal in a soldiers
life which is pleasant but not
quite enough to make me
want to stay any longer than I

have to thair seams to be
an impresion here that we
	 here
will stay ^ some time it dont
make but little differance to
me I would as quick be
on the move as to Stay in
camp any legth of time thare
has been a rumor that we
ware agoing to the Gulf I
dont know as thare is any
truth in it I would like
to be in New Orleans when 
dicharged.    you wanted to
   know if Simmons was Lieut.
well not as I know of
I beleive I put him on
duty whenever thare is a Sergt.
called for and it is his
turn to go the ranks fourth
Sergt. in the company if you
hear of his being promoted while
I remain Sergt.. you will here
of me being reduced to the
ranks by my own request I
may get it without requesting it

J Delaforce ranks second Corporl
he is a good soldier and
deserves somthing better he seams
to be enjoying himslf first rate 
now a days. Frank sits here by
me reading we got some new
	         one
papers and a ^ number of the
Atlantic Mothely last night
so that the time will pass of
a little more pleasant for a
day or two Jessee Redman
has been to our camp he
made J.D. quite a visit his
regiment is about ten miles
from here in an other division
we are about ten miles from
East port and about the same
distance from the Mississippi line
our camp is in sight of
the Tenessee River the rebes.
come up and shoot across
at our men most every day
not much harm has been done yet