Carrollton, La., Sept. 2, 1863

I received your welcome though sad letter a few days ago and I now sit down to answer it. This is your letter of Aug. 6th. I am waiting and watching for another from home to hear how the dysentery is. I am very uneasy about our little fellows. How is Aggie getting and has she been very sick? I received a letter from Si Martin day before yesterday written Aug. 10th. He says there is a great deal of sickness in the neighborhood and that some of our folks are sick. I am afraid of that Dysentery and to hear of any one having it in the family makes me very uneasy more so since Lizzies and Cappie's deaths. I don't know why it is but I have a strange pre- sentiment of some misfortune to befall some of you at home. I never was more anxious to get letters from home.

I was greatly surprised to hear John and Mary Fleming were dead and that Billy and his Mother were dangerously ill. Theirs has indeed been an afflicted family. Give them my heartfelt sympathies it is all I can offer. How are Mrs. Fleming and Billy getting? Have Robert Fleming's children got well? Who of Mr. Burkholder's family are sick? Are they very low? Are they getting better? etc, etc,? Tell me all about all the neighbors. Mrs. Wilson and Alec., Elizabeth Reed, Kidd's Family and all other who are sick. I think Frank Wilson might write to me, he never wrote any thing about his letters and money for his paper and stamps which I sent to Camp Chase as he directed. I would like to hear if he ever got them. I received the pen Uncle Frey sent me and answered his letter. I don't see why my letters have not gone through to you. I wrote to some of you at least once a week when we were where we could write. You must have misunderstood Issac McCullough's letter about me being sunstruck. Ike had one, a pretty severe one too, and I remained with him till he was able to go on and then kept with him till he was sent back.

We have marching orders again, are to move on the third (tomorrow) in light marching order, leaving our knapsacks and all extra clothing back to be well marked so that they can be sent to us when needed, we take a full supply of ammunition, have a ten days march before us through a country where the life of each soldier depends on his activity and ability to take care of himself and at the end of march we are to go into comfortable quarters. No one knows where we are going and as is usual in such cases many odd rumors are afloat without foundation. Some think we will be sent through the country to some point on the Mississippi river to keep off guerrillas, others have us on our way to Mobile, while I can't get it out of my head that we are going to Galveston, Texas. I do not think we are expecting to have much opposition in our route except from guerrillas and no fight at the end of it else how would we have comfortable quarters, besides only our division have orders yet to go. I think we are going someplace for guards.

We leave our sick all back. Ike McCullough, John Stimmel and Jon't Williams are all to be left - so I am the only one of old Mess No. 4 left to go and thank fortune I am in as good trim for this trip as I have been since we came down the river.

I like the country here far better than at Vicksburg. It is not near so hot here as it was up there -- there is always more of a breeze going. There are a great many sick here but I don't know whether as many or more than at Vicksburg. There have not been so many buried in camp but our sick were principally sent to New Orleans and I do not know how they fare there. The boys are so much worn out that there will be a great many sick no matter where they are taken. I tell you we have seen hard service and our regiment as well as our flag show it too. Our flag is but a small bunch of rags and ribbons - far different from the proud and beautiful Stars and Stripes we so proudly waived over our heads as we marched with a firm step through Wooster on our way to the scene of action - the bloody battlefield. I was out to see Lake Ponchatrain and bathed myself in its briny waters. It was a beautiful sight for one who had never seen so much water in a body before. I haven't the time to describe its sceneries. The water is just salty enough to taste it on it.

Although it is only three or four days since I wrote you I must write again as this will be my last opportunity for some time. We start on a long march tomorrow - are to go in light marching order, leaving all our tents, knapsacks, and extra clothing here -- all to be well marked so that they can be sent on to us when we want them. We are to take with us a full complement of ammunition and will travel through a country where the life and safety of the soldier will depend on his activity and freedom from incumbrances, (so says the order) and after a ten days march we will go into comfortable quarters. We do not know where we are going and as is usual in such cases speculations as to our destination are rife throughout the camp. Some say we are bound for a trip through the country to some point on the Mississippi river to guard the river from guerrillas, others say we will go through to Mobile, but I think we will go to Galveston, Texas and cannot get it into my head that we will go any where but into Texas.

I do not think we will have any fighting of consequence, else they would not promise us comfortable quarters at the end of ten days particularly if they expected to meet much of a force of the enemy at our journey's end. I think we are going somewhere to do garrison duty. We leave all our sick to follow with our tents and equipments.

I went out on a visit to Lake Ponchatrain and had a bath in its briny waters. I tell you it was a grand sight to one who had never seen so large a body of water. As far as the eye could reach you could see the rippling waves sparkling in the sunlight and far out at sea I could see two white clouds -- the sails of some pleasure loving Nabob of Louisiana. The water of the Lake is just salty enough to give it a flat taste. There are several bathing houses out on the lake where a person can go down into the lake and enjoy a salt water bath. For a long distance out in the lake there is a splendid bottom and just the right depth for a sport and then how nicely the waves bury one up. I wish you could enjoy the scene and a bath in the lake. I know it would be a pleasure to you.

The soldiers and citizens here have a spat every now and then. Last Monday some of the 16th boys were down in town and went into a grocery drank what beer they wanted and then turned to go out without paying for it (this is an old trick with soldiers), the bar-keeper took down a double-barrelled shotgun loaded with pigeon shot and banged away at our boys -- the shot took effect in the face, arms and body of a little fellow in Co. A -- one shot put out his eye. He is pretty badly wounded but I guess with great care will get over it. The enraged soldiers made for the bar-tender but he fortunately for himself got away from them and gave himself up to the provost guards before they could catch him else they would have litterally torn him to pieces.

Every now and then some one gets shot in some of their scrapes with the citizens or these Eastern troops. The Eastern and Western men won't take a thing off the other. The Eastern troops will side with the citizens and this the Western boys can't go.

Carrollton, La., Sept. 3, 1863

Carrollton, La., Sept. 5, 1863

Millersburg, Ohio, Sept. 20, 1863

Your Father has told you of the death of our dear little twins. You cannot imagine how dear they were to us. I always looked on those children as a heritage from the Lord. They gave us much pleasure before they took sick. Many people came to see them who were never in the house before. But their Angels who do always behold the face of our Father in heaven may have seen if they were left in this world of sin they would offend and used their influence to have them removed. These providences are mysteries to us, but it is enough for us to know our Savior said "it is not the will of our Father in heaven that one of these little ones should perish." Five of our family in heaven! what a nice little group. All the rest in the place "where prayer is heard and mercy found." What cause for praise: -- Kind Father follow us up by they Spirit, by they providances, by afflictions and chastisements if need be but never say of any of us "they are joined to their idols let them alone."

We have not had a letter from you since the one of August 9th - you speak of your gold pen - Mr. Frey did sent it -- you should have got it before my letter of July 22nd. I told you in that he had not written but it was a mistake. It cost $1.75, did you get it? and do you like it? Jonathan is in Company with Mr. Frey. I am glad you get the paper regularly. We noticed Billy Roberts obituary. Could any comrade write so many Christian practices of Thomas Linn? Yes I dare say they could for he is a kind, cheerful, truthful, obliging fellow. His comrades praise him while he yet lives, but could they write he was "frequently seen with his open Bible seriously perusing the golden words of promise there found." That would be a comfort to friends - it would tell he loved God as well as man and God says "I love them that love me."

Berwick Bay, La., Sept. 27, 1863

Our knapsacks have just arrived, all right side up with care. The officer's trunks are not here yet and my paper and envelopes are in Lieut. Corn's trunk but I have borrowed from my mess mate until mine arrive and so am able to write a few lines home again at last. Our march is not yet over indeed I should say we have not yet started for the most of our journey so far has been on the cars. We had been waiting for two or three days before leaving Carrollton with every thing packed hourly expecting to move but did not leave camp and the sick boys until Sunday September 6th just three weeks ago this morning when we marched to the Mississippi river and went aboard the steamer Atlantic, sailed majestically down the river to Algiers - a city opposite New Orleans where we took the cars, piling on whenever we could find a foothold on top of wagons -- under them -- between them -- everywhere. The cars were flats such as we used for carrying railroad iron, wood, etc. in our country. They were loaded with our wagons and things, and then the men thrown in to fill up crevices. We left Algiers about four P.M. and ran a very little south of due west nearly all night - finding ourselves some seventy miles further into Louisiana at Bayou Beauf a salty bayou running up from the bay. We lay here just one week, the next Sunday we came on to Brashear City on the opposite side of this bay where we now are. We remained over there until day before yesterday when we came over here. It is the general opinion that we will stay here for a week or ten days. yet. We are camped on the west side of Berwick Bay on a nice sod but very inconvenient so far as water is concerned -- the water of the bay and all the bayous is salty and the tide rises and falls in them. Sometimes we have to use it for coffee but when we can do it we get water from puddles gathered by rain. Across the bay we dug wells but even these are salty to a certain degree. Water will be the greatest difficulty we will have in marching through here.

I am very anxious to hear from you, I haven't had a single letter since we left Carrollton although the mail comes every once and a while. I have not had a letter from home for over four weeks. Am very uneasy. Father's last letter spoke of Aggie being sick. I hear of so much sickness and death up there that I am afraid of that dysentery and more uneasy when I hear of sickness at home and then can not hear from there for a full month. I have been quite well for a few days back, was quite sick one night last week - had high fever and headache with pains in my stomache. The next day I had diarrhea and severe pains in my bowels. I think it will came from cold. I caught a severe cold when we commenced lying out this last time - have not got over it yet - am getting much better thought - diarrhea has stopped and the pains in my bowels have disappeared and I think a day or two more will find me enjoying usual health again. Newt Gorsuch has not got up with us yet. The furloughed boys are all at New Orleans - I do not know why they do not let them come on up. I received a note from him this morning, he says Ike McCullough and Stimmel are getting along as well as could be expected. I long for Newt to come up - I want to have a long talk with him. I don't know why it is I get no letters when others get them and when my Republican comes through all right. There must be some mystery about this. No letters come to me from any one. Let me hear from you as soon as this reaches you.

Sept. 28th

Berwick Bay, La., Sept. 27, 1863

Our knapsack have just arrived and I now can get paper again to write to those whom I know are so anxious to hear from me. How glad I am that I can now write to you again -- it seems as if I am with you and am talking to you although I know it will be one long month yet before you will see this and pen me an answer. How cold that sounds.

Prospects for speedy termination of the war never were better than now. The rebels are falling back on all sides.

I must tell you where I am and how I came here. Three weeks ago this Sabbath morning we left our pleasant camp at Carrollton and went aboard the steamer Atlantic, ran down to Algiers which is just opposite New Orleans and at four o'clock in the evening we boarded the cars and ran nearly all night bearing a very little south of due west. In the morning we found ourselves at Bayou Beauf which connects with this bay -- the water quite salty when the tide is in. We put up our shelter tents and remained just one week, leaving the next Sunday morning for Brashear City ten miles further on. We stopped there until day before yesterday when we crossed over and came on this side of the bay. Brashear City, I would call it a village, is on the east side of Berwick Bay and Berwick town is on the west side - we are about a mile or a mile and a half further up the bay on the Berwick side. Brashear City is doubtless marked on the map, you will find it in Louisiana looking west from New Orleans. Berwick's bay empties into Atchafalaya bay which is marked if Berwick is not. Atchafalaya bay is just east of Grand Island. I think you can have no trouble in finding by the map where we are.