Baton Rouge   Aug 18/62    
                  Dear Wife
   I will now try and write afew lines
to you to let you know that we are all
well and have had abattle with the 
Rebels and came out on top of the
heap we [whip?] them badly we killed
and wounded something like a thousand
of the scamps and we lost only four hundred
                                                                t
killed and wounded our first Lieutenan^
was taken prisoner by them Eliza we expect 
and other battle in ashort time we have
to get up evry Morning at three O Clock
and be in the line of Battle ready for
the scoundralls

                             Baton Rouge      Aug 18th 62

               I will now try and finish
My letter to you I am well as usual
we are expecting to leave Baton Rouge for 
New Orleans in ashort time to fight another 
Battle with the rebels they have got so that
they fire on our picket and we a agoing
down to tend to there [cases?] for them as we did
here in our town where we live I was out on
picket last night and while I was there
the rebels came up to our lines with aflag
of truce with one of our men that they had
taken prisoner afew days ago they left him
in our hands to take care of by the way that
the man acted I should think that the rebels 
had poisoned him to death for when any of our
Boys would offer him any water he would
froth at the mouth like amad dog and he
would cry like alittle child his tounge was
swollen so that he could not speak aword
to us but he took apencil and paper and
wrote and told us what his colonel name
was so we took him to the hospital and he
died in afew hours Eliza I will try and 
fill up this sheet of papers to you I have
not heard from you since the fifth of 
July and I have sent you two letters since
that time I was in the hottest of the battle

                                                                                             d
that we had and the balls fell all aroun^
my head like hail stone in the winter time
and the boys lay there and told stories to one
another and had good times all the while the
rebels was afireing at us there was over one
thousand of the rebels killed and wounded
and only about two hundred and fifty on 
our side killed and wounded there was one of
our Lieutenant was taken prisoner at the 
time of the battle we had aletter from him
since he has been aprisoner he told the capt to 
send his trunk to Mich and he would be there
to get [crossed out word] it I want to write afew lines to
Baltimore to day to let them know that I am
yet alive and [wite?] the rest akicking I will
write afew words to all in this letter tell the
girls for me that as soon as we get so that we
do not have to stand guard both night and
day I will try and write each of them a
letter I have been on guard both night and
day for four days and I am to sleepy for
that I would like to hear from them as soon
as you write again to me tell Mary [illegible]
how I have had to do and as soon as I get
rested [out?] I will write her agood long letter
to make up that one that she sent to me
in that one of Josiah I was very glad to
hear from her at that time giver her my respects


In the battle poor Stephen Griffin he got
shot through his hips and he lived five or
six days and then the poor boy had to leave us
for that better land above where I think he is
asleeping that good sleep levi sibley he was
shot through his head but I think that he will
get along so he will get home to see his folks
again I will now tell you about Josiah
he was out on picket with us yesterday he is
getting quiet smart again he will soon be
tough again [illegible] he is as tough as abear 
and so [smudged letter] am I and ready for any duty
that I am called on to do and that is all
the while some thing to do in the army
Direct your letters to Baton Rouge as before
until after you hear from me again and 
that will be as soon as I get one from you and
I hope that will not be long

        I will now close Kiss lilly for me
        once and awhile so good By to all

                 from your sincere friend
            and Husband Richard [S?] Austin