#7



		Bridgeport, Alabama
		     Nov. 24th 1863.
Dear Wife it has been over a week since
I wrote to you but we was going back
from the Northwest rail road last Sunday
So I could not write before. but it has
been more than one week since I got a
letter from you.  How is all of the folks
get along I am cook for fifteen men
now I am going to tell you what I have
to cook with I have got seven four qt
basins and 3 camp kettles now I will
tell you that is not very handy we have
flour, beans, pork dried apples and sugar
and hard crackers I have made as good
Sweet fried cakes as you can out of the
same materials I have got lard and
saleratus and water for to mix with
perhaps you think I cant make good
biscuit out of flour and water and [areas?]
but I can so if you want to know how
we live try and see I make a good
pot pie out of salt pork or fresh
pork we live on the top shelf I
can tell you. I am well and tough
	           ve
as usual we had rode over one thousand
    a bear.
miles in the cars since I left home
and worked but six days. we left Oscar
in the hospital at Nashville he is Not
much sick but was not able to work
Wm has been moved to Nashville. He
is not any better I think he will not
live long he drank very hard while in
Detroit and on the road to Nashville he
just got on the camp ground monday and
was taken sick Tuesday Liquor is
not to be had here at any price. and that
is the reason he is sick we are now
in Alabama South of the Cumberland
Mountains we are about half a thirty-
five miles from Chattanooga they
have been fighting there to day and
Gen Grant has drove the rebs six
miles today. I have not seen a dead
or wounded man yet. I am disappointed
in how things go on here. It is not
half so bad as I expected to find it when
I started from home. How is things
going at home we have not had any
snow here yet nor not much rain yet
it is warm enough to go in our shirt
sleeves all the time it dont freeze


			Nov. 24, '63


any here yet. the country after we get
into the southern states is nothing
but a wilderness almost all the way the 
cities are about half as large as Maple Rapids
there is material for a flourishing country
here but it wants Northern industry and
energy to make it so the people there
are very ignorant and dirty they live by
raising darkies well now the darkies
hain't to be fooled with as soldiers they
make the best appearance on the march
I ever saw they wear black hats
with a bugle on it and they look clean
and neat they take pride in being soldiers
as to Inteligence they are equal or superior
to the white, Well I must Stop and go
to bed, kiss the boys and tell them it
is for pa write every week and I will
you had better kill the hogs as soon as
you can make them do to eat. Good bye &
good night direct as before and they will
come all right     from Your husband
			Simeon A Howe
Send me three or four post stamps to time