Harrison Tenn July 16: 1863
Dear father and mother through the
blesing of a kind providence I am spard
to rite you a few lines which will info
rm you that I am well though I have
a bile on my so that I can hardly walk
to day I am in hops this will come safe to you
and finde you all in good helth and a
gitting a long well I received a letter from
Mary Jane a few days a go and was glad to
here that you was all well I ancerd it it
when wee [first?] stoped and I was in[?????] [1]
for [doing?] then I [was?] in for hunting some
thing to eat but I stud the march first rate
I can asure you that I have seen sites since I left
home I have seen the bums burst and heard the
bullets whisel I marched through the rain
and mud with but little to eat though I
stud it all pirty well if I could see you I could
tell you a grate deal that I cant rite I want
to see you all very bald but I can [promise?]
my self no time when I will be able to see
you a gain but I still pray and trust that
wee may be spaird to meet a gain in this
life [our?] rashings has bin redust and wee
did not get any to much before but I make
out very well for I go out in the country and
buy when I can finde any thing to buy
[page 2]
ever thing is mity high ires potaters from
150 cts to 300$ a peck a canteen of milk is [2]
worth 50 a chicken 100 to 200$ a head of
cabage 50 cts $100 wee are a guarding
a little town here at this time our deuty
is lite now it is not worth while for me
to try to rite you the ware news Jim Bush
has ritting some thing a bout our trip and I
could not tell all a bought it in a day
but I can say to you that I s[???]d
it finely and when wee got here I was
a bought the fastest that their was a
moung us but I lost my nap sack so I
did not have any thing but a gun and
blanket to cary only when I would cary
some of the rest of their guns or nap sacks
for them LW had like to give out his
feet got very sore and he was not very well
but wee all got through saf William
Collins was very puny all of the way
but he is a bout strate at this time
tell my sis that if she can git a chance
to send me one sute of close and as many
sox as she ples and I want them colerd I
dont need any coat tell all of the little
hogs I would like to see them rite to me
soon I have never [???] a letter from you
your sun till Deth T T Bigbie