Feb 14th /63
Camp Stanely 1½ miles from Murfreesboro
	Dear Lucy	
		       I take this time
to write you a few lines I have been
gone from camp two weaks got in
last night & found 2 letters from
you when we left on the scout we
ware orderd to take 3 days rations
with us expected to com back within
that time but they kept us out
14 days we ware not nere any Post
office & I had no chance for writing
I guess that is good excuse for not
writing oftener it is the best I have
to give I think if we Stay in Tenn
      longer
much ^ I shall be pretty well acquainted
with the country for we are runing all
over the woods into every cross road &
every whare else we had a number of 
				over

skirmishes with the rebles thare was
but two or three of our boys wounded
our Brigade took about 140 prisoners the
first
^ day we ware out the 7th Penselvany
regiment made one Saber charge they
pitched rite into a reble camp of
about 400 I was in sight at the
time the Rebles under took to Stand
their ground but it was no use & 
they broke and run they had about
25 wounded and the worst wounds
I have in most all on the head
and face thare was a bloody mess of
them as I have [sen?], anwhare they dont
ask us to make any such charges
as we do not carry any sabers when
they come to shoting we are ready every
time we are having some warm weather
here now have had but a few days of
cold weather this winter thare has
been a few days since we have been
out on this scout that ware not
very comfertable an it was cold camping
				over


nights thare was 2 or 3 inches of snow
on the ground we had no tents so
we laid down some rails on the
ground and slept on them we sleep
first rate in that way a little cool
some times but it does very well
for a soldier and we have got so
we can stand it first rate we
have enough to eat most of the time
dont eat salt Bacon much eather
we have found out the Rebles have
got better in their smoke houses we
       eat
dont ^ anything much poorer than good
nice hams and we have a plenty
of them laitly the weather has been
quite warm for a few days and the 
nigers have comenced plowing here
some they is not much but nigers
left here most of the white men are
in the army some plantations of
6 or 7 thousands acers with 75 or 100
hundred nigers with no white man
on it to over see the nigers dont

want to get away and they nigers
looke better than they do in the Northern
States I wish some of your abolishinests
could come down here and see them
may be they would go home with
a flea in there ear, I dont beleive
in tearing them away from here when
they do not want to go
I guess Brooks was a little mistaken
about my being so fat I am in first
rate order and fell all rite most of
the time the boys are all well except
[illegible in original] Gust & Myron Winters he lives in
Milan dont no as you ware acquainted
with him, Gust is Getting better
now he has been a goodeal unwell
for about 2 weaks guess he will
get along if he is careful of him-
self
^ (about that discharge if I should
get it I dont no whether we should 
fall out or fall in guess it would
be fall in dont you think so)
hope you will excuse this
writing as I am in a hurry and
have got to write a letter home
to night
you wanted I should write all 
the news you can get that in the
news papers I have not any to write
          and I will quite for this time
	       take good care of yourself    Othniel
dont for get to write often