Devalls Bluff Ark Mar 20/65
        Dear folks at home
		   The Mail boat
came in this morning. bringing me
          (Mar 13)
one letter ^ and two papers, Cook [Cortney?]
& [Mandy?] came in on the boat
Letter & papers come very acceptable
Send all the reading matter, you can,
old magazines Novelette anything
you can get hold of.
My health is passably good, I have
direa, not very bad, My cold is nearly
over, a little cough left, We have had
but little to do the past week, but eat
and tend roll call. They have we have 
[commenced?] the drill now, I think I
shall stand it, I can drink coffee equal
with the rest now. I like beef & rice [illegible in original]
but I miss Sauce, sweet, & c. I go and
try the bakers pies they  contain apple
enough. greece enough. but they don't

taste like mothers. I eat a little and
give or throw the rest away  I have tried
all kinds. I can't eat them. Apples are
3 for 25 cts cheese 60 cts per lb (I bought
a dollars worth last week) good for 
diarea, Butter 80 cts pr lb. Shugar I
can buy of the soldiers for 25 cts lb
the boys all buy butter. I prefer sauce
or shugar
We are camped about 1/2 mile from the
river. the ground is rolling on the opposite
page. I make two [illegible in original] one of the camp
one of the country. The land is cleared
about one mile from the bluff, and
earthworks are thrown up so that
the enemy could not easily take the
place, I do not know how many soldiers
they have here they come and go all the time
the 3d mich cavelry passed through here
last week. I saw [Dick Drew?].
they go to New Orleans, There is [illegible in original] now
that the 12th will have to go but I hope not.

[Total scan is a drawing of the camp.]
It is raining this afternoon. [illegible in original]
is building some fire. he is not well. not
having done 3 weeks duty since he came up
last fall. After I get this letter done I
shal go to reading the waverly.
I broke my watch crystal yesterday got
one put in for 75 cts. & broke that, cannot you 
send me some by mail in one of those
small collar boxes, there is one in my
trunk send 5 or 6. Heavy crystals, size
26 1/2 some 26 3/4. you will find some
crystals in my large trunk some in my
small trunk,
If I knew we were going to stay long
here I would have you send that small
box of crystals which I packed, to
take to New Buffalo -
I have not got to work on watches
yet we have no window in our shanty
I shall not work until I have got the
drill learned & have got used to things.
		From Fred P Warren


Edward Warren.
Three Oaks
Berrien Co.
Mich