Camp MCClernand
Milligans Bend 25 miles above vicksburg March the 14  63

Dear Companion  
this butiful saturday eavning I seat myself to let you no that i am yet on the stage of action and 
in good health for which I am thankful to the giver of all good  I hope this will find you all enjoying 
the same good blessings of god  I havent got any letter from you for sometime  the last was dated 
Feb the 19th  I am looking for one every day now  I can inform you that the high water drove us 
from youngs point  our corps landed here 2 day ago  the 49th come up 2 days before we did  
we landed here at dark  I went out to the Regt and stayed all nite with the Boys  J.W. Simmons 
set me out a good pot of ---- for supper  I went back last nite and stayed with the boys again  
We have put us up a tent today and Jack Keynon and me has just fixed us a nice bunk and I 
seat my self on it to write you this letter  We are camped on a large plantation --- Ups Bottem 
is but a garden spot by the side of this  fine houses all evacuated  the country here is as fine as 
heart could wish but not a string of fence to be found on these large farms  Our generals has 
their head quarters in these fine houses  
their last years corn in many places is not gethered yet  it is planting time here now  the leaves 
on the little cottonwoods is as large as a half a dollar  O how it makes the farmer think of his 
home  But alas how different the horrors of war covers our once prosperous but now desolate 
nation  instead of king cotton here as it was in times of peace the fields is dotted with yankee 
camps  Now Rachel I havent drawed any money yet But will in a few days  The paymaster 
is in our division  I expect we will have a chance to send our money home as lieutenant foset 
expects to go home and Robert Hagins is here from orangeville to see his son  if there is any 
chance to send you may look for mine  I dont expect we will get but 26 Dollars now  When 
I send it to you you can use it just as you think best  I am not afeard of you spending it 
unnecissarily  if this war lasts much longer the women that manages the best is the ones that 
will suffer the least  it would trouble me very much to hear of you and the children suffering 
for food or rainment  Rachel let us try to live so as to claim the promise for it says --- shall 
not be forsaken nor their seed beging Bread  let us put our trust in him that never slumbers  
I will stop just here for one of the Boys comes in with a letter from you  I read it with great 
interest I find it dated March the 4th writen by two freemasons  I was glad to heare from 
home but sorry to of the death of Sister Davis  I was also sorry that you had not got my 
letters for so long a time  I have rote often and regular not only to you but to Brother Mickler 
and Harrison father Mack Dick Poison loyd Rutherford  I have sent up more news perhaps 
than you would ever find true  Now I have just got supper over washed our tin plates and 
proceed to rite till dark  I fried some good sweet cakes for supper  I wish you had been 
here to eat some of my cooking  Soldier will be quite handy if tha live to get home  I saw a 
piece in a paper yesterday from a lady  she said if the government wanted any more infantry 
tha would have to send some of the volunteers home  Now Rachel I have rote about all that 
is necissary at this time and some that is not necissary  But as Wess Simon seys you no how 
I am  I must light the candle  Now Dear Wife let your prayers follow me in the far off South  
I often think of you  I pray for you dailey  O how I would love to grasp your lovley hand 
again and see them bright eyed Boys and heare Samey say yessir and heare finley say thank 
you for some more Butter  I have nearly forgot how tha look Rachel  Raise them for heaven
and if I see you no more and am fortunate enough to get thare I will no them thare  may god 
bless you all both spiritual and temperal and at last give us all a home beond the tide  Be 
shure to answer this letter soon -- ever D.S. Morgan to Rachel Morgan  Please find some 
little pieces ofjewelry in this  give Billey one piece to put on his ear

V.B Dear Father and Mother Mack  I still remember you  I hope this will find you 
all well and enjoying the comforts of life and religion  Dear Father and Mother as I 
converse with you to nite by letter I think of the many Saturday nites I have set with 
you arnund your firesides  But o how different this eavning  But Mack I am not 
hopeless yet thank god though I dont see much prospects of a earley peace but I 
am in beter spirits now than I was about newyears  the hard ships then was indiscrible  
But we have a good time now and I have had for over a month  health is much better 
than it was  hundreds caught their death by the exposure at the time of our fight at 
Vicksburg and Arkansas Post  Now I would just say that J.W. Simmons got a letter 
from Roma stating that one of Isaac Damewoods boys was ded but did not state 
which one it was  I got a letter this week from Neil A. Mack dated Feb the 26th  
I was glad to heare from him  tha are lucky to get to stay up thare in Ky  Now Mack 
I cant give you any war news at this time  perhaps you would like to heare something 
about the canal  Well tha had got it as tha thought nearly done But the River got so 
high the water broke into the canal before it was ready  I dont no what the termination 
will be  thare is a druge boat working on it with 25 miles above the canal now  the 
nite before we left down thare our men fixed up a old flat boat like a gun boat to fool 
the Rebels and after nite tha turned it loose to run the Blockade apast Vicksburg the 
Rebels fired about 80 shoots at it  tha fairly shook the earth  I havent heard how the 
old flat got through  our troops is diging a canal about 50 miles above here at lake 
providence to intersect Red River  the plan is to cut the Confederacy in two  I figure 
this thing will turn in our favor rapidley before long  thare has ben a great talk here 
about the negro question  many is hard on the administration  Now Mack I am not 
a lincoln man nor a peace man unless it is rite  I am a uncondishional union man I 
say a way with anything to put the Rebelion down mule Negro or White Man  it is 
bed time I must close  rite soon  Direct to the 49th Regt Ind VoI Co G  I think I 
will be more apt to get them

	
* as always, I do not correct the spelling or change the text.