Camp Near Shelbyville
Tennisee May 30th 1863
Dear Wife and Children it
is through the mercies of god
I am permited to take my pen
in hand to in form you that I
am in Tolerabel helth at this
time and I hope when these few
lines comes to hand that they may
find you all injoying the best
of helth I have bin very Sick
last week and a part of the wee
k before but I am now abel for
duty I want you to rite to me
how you & bud is geting a long
with your Stears & crop how they
perform I received your kind
leter bareing dait the 18 instant [1]
which gave me grait satisfaction
to here from you and to here you
all was well and doing the saim
I recived your letter the 26 it
come in 8 days I want you to rite
often as yo can
[page 2]
I will now give you the situa
tion and the description of Soaldiers
fair as fare as I have tride it we
are in the bend of duck river one
Mile below Shelbyville in the sha
dyest grove of beech poplar and
hickery a Butyfalis plais for
a camp I think I cold get a long
with the duty of a soaldier if I
cold keep well and cold get a pl
enty to eat but we have the porst
beef her to eat you ever sean in
Your life we are alowed 1 pound
of it per day and 1 ¼ lb corn meal
Some times we git1 days rashins of
flour it only lasts 2 meals when
we get Bacon we only get ½ lb to
the man a day we get rise and peas
once and a while I want you to make
all you can of corn and potatoes & to
baco and when you have eny thing to
sell So you must excuse me for
this time So no more at present but
remains yours truly untill deathe
To Martha Gilliland W. B. Gilliland