#9



		Bridgeport, Alabama. Dec 6th / 63
Dear wife it is Sunday and I must sit down
and write a few lines to you I Just got a letter
from you of Nov. 25th and was glad to hear
from you. It is a great treat to get a letter
from home. I have got five letters from
you all told but the last was the best
you gave me receipts for cooking in the
last. I am glad the things are all doing
so well on the farm. Tell Arden to
look on the map and find the rail road
running from Nashville to Chattanooga
and find Bridgeport and he will see
where his pa is tell Bade. to run
and play for Pa till I come Back. I
am well and tough as a bear I
would like to send home something
nice but have no chance to get anything
here apples was sold here last night
for three for twenty cents and Saleratus
for one dollar a pound pies for fifty 
cents apiece but we dont buy any
we live well on rations we draw
pork, flour, hard crackers beans
rice sugar molasses soap candles
& sometimes potatoes & onions and

vinegar and pepper & salt So you see we
are well supplied there has been a fight
at Chattanooga the particulars you can get
in the Tribune Bragg is Badly whipped
I saw and talked with about 3500 rebs
and they say that they would be ready
to lay down their arms iff they dared
but their officers wont let them. our
troops are coming back here to rest
I have just been out to find Cord but his
Division is not here the poor fellows
look as though they had seen hard
times the country here is perfectly
covered with tents as far as the eye
could reach the poor fellows marched
from Chattanooga 38 miles with but
two hard crackers to eat and when
they got to our camp they was hungry
enough and there was one box of
hard tack in our company and it
was our ration day so they wanted
to buy it and there was one man that
you know that was mean enough
to ask 25 cts for one hatfull.
that man was peddler Dave I found
it out and went down and told him

			Dec. 6, '63.


if he would charge a soldier for hard tack
he would steal the cents off a dead man's 
eyes and kick him because they were
not dollars. and then I went to work and
give the whole box away a few to each
man. and he could not help himself and
he will not hear the last of it his money
will burn his fingers. this is the end
of the railroad and only one boat plys
on the river from here to  chattanooga
and it cant feed the army we are building
a warehouse here 900 feet long to store
provision for the army. I have not heard
from Will or Oscar since we left Nashville
2 weeks ago to day the boys that went with
us are most of them well we have good
water and lots to eat. you need not send
any box to me untill I write for it because
It cannot reach here now the express is
stopped to carry supplies to the army
I have got good socks good clothes of all
kinds needfull I have got all of those
currants yet except one stewing so
you can see I dont suffer. I just
stewed Dried applies enough for 18
men's supper and now I must fry
some nut cakes it is most time
to get some supper the men will
be in from work hungry as bears.
I did not take any receipt for the
box of clothing but did for the money
but it is not marked paid so I
guess you will have to loose the
express on them. you must make
each one pay their share on the
clothes or else keep the clothing
untill they do   Good bye this time
give my love to all enquiring Friends
Tell Mr Luce he need not be afraid
to write to me himself Kiss the
children for me and hug them
hard god bless you all is my
prayer
		Simeon Howe