#36



	Tuesday 2 Oc, Stevenson Ala May 17, 1864
My dear wife you see by my date I have moved again
I am well Excuse this delay in writing I got your
letter Sunday afternoon dated May 6th and was glad
				     was
to hear from you and to hear you are well you are
excusable for not writing longer letters for I know
you are drove most to death with work I drew my
pay one week ago to-day from the time my
muster roll says I enlisted that is Oct. 26th
1863 and by that mistake it gave me the
big bounty Just by 2 days it began to take
effect Oct. 24th 1863. So I had Just $166.80) one
hundred and sixty-six dollars and eighty cents
paid me 2 installments of bounty $100 and
my wages since I enlisted I Expressed home
to you $165 last Tuesday the Express charges
not paid Daniels sent fifty dollars in the
same package his wife is to pay her share
                   cc
of the cost annording to the amount of money
you will have to go to St. Johns for it Mrs
Daniels can pay you for her part I wrote a very
short letter the same night I sent the money
and gave the same Directions and I write
them now for fear you will not get the
other letter the money was directed to
Mrs C E. P Howe, St. Johns, Clinton Co. Michigan

I think you had better engage your harvest help
as soon as you can if you have not done it all-
ready you need not send anything as it costs so much
but if you had sent it while I was gone it would
have come to me the same if it would be any
satisfaction to you to send me a few things
why send them along. but I think I can
get along very well without them if you
send any thing Direct it to me Stevenson, Alabama.
direct in this way Simeon A Howe 1st Mich.
Engl & Mech's Com M. Stevenson., Ala. was sorry
to hear Louisa was sick I think you had
better let out what money you dont want to
use to Benedict or Some body else at interest
I dont think you had better apply for any
more help from the town as long as I get
the big bounty if I get my pay regular we
shall probably stay here as much as 2 or 3
months and perhaps longer although we 
may be ordered from here in one week but
there is Eight block houses and Eight forts to
build here. the rebs tore up the railroad track
about half a mile from our camp the night
we got our pay that was last tuesday night at

				May 17, 1864.


Cummings wood yard they were Gurillies after
plunder there were 20 of us and we had a guard
of Infantry of 33 men there was about 150 of
the rebs they meant to rob and plunder our
camp but did not know how many there was
of us they took a Citizens boy about fifteen years
old that lived about one mile from our camp
with them while they were tearing up the track
in order to find out by him how many there was
of us he told them there was over 250 men of
			                we
us and that made them think there was too
much for them there was citizens in the raid
that the boy knew that did not live over six
miles from where we was he gave the names
of several the next day. the rebs left him at
home when they went back. the infantry
captured one of the citizens that the boy mentioned
the night before we left there he was the same
one that placed a pistol at the boys head and told
him he was a liar and he would shoot him
after the boy said there was 250 of us but he
stuck to it the guards came and woke us
up when he heard them tear the track
we all went out to attack them and as
soon as they heard us they run so you
see we spoiled their fun the one the boys

			    before
caught is probably dead by now this time as
they shoot them in the Tullahoma as fast as
they catch them    Well good bye for this
time kiss the boys for me from your husband
			S A Howe

			Evening
     Well I have just got supper over the boys
say(s) I made the best bread they ever eat
I think I can beat you making bread
we are camped in an orchard here the trees
are full of apples if we stay here six weeks
we shall have all the apples we want to eat
you must not be scared at what I told you about
the rebs at Cummings wood yard that is 60 miles
from here we are in a strongly fortified place here
I am not in a place where I can get any shells
to make rings of or I would make you one and
send it to you I dont get very lonesome this
summer here but I should like to see you all
very much the prospect is that we shall all be
				  (l)
mustered out this fall the colonen Says we shall
all go home this fall well I must stop for
we shall have to put out the lights in a few
minutes good night and good-bye from your
husband                           Simeon A Howe