the name of the camp
I dont noe it is in the direction May 14th 1863
of mobeal from Jackson

On Retreat 14 miles from Jackson Miss
Dear wief I Seat my Self on a log
to drop you a line this leaves me well
but verry nigh wore out a marching
hopeing tese few lines will find you
and the childering well I can not give
you the perticlers of my trip here only at
Savannah & Collumbus & Salum Demopoless
Ala The Ladys give us fine Dinner at
the above named places and at
Branden Miss we got to montgomery
Allabama 8 oclock Saturday night
I went and taken Supper with
your Aunt Martha Chandler I Stayed
with her until midmight then
the boat Started I find her a
Smart inteligent Laddy who
treated me very kindly & I think
She is a woman that will do
She keaps as nice a house as any
body She told me I must be sur
and call on her if I ever passed
thare a gane I must call and see her & you and I must
come to see her She spoke of come
ing up to see you all this summer
She made me promise that i [would?]
[page 2]
write to her your uncle is in Service
here at vicksburg we got to Jackson
on the night of 12th the Same day
we got here thare was a big
fight at Ramond 20 miles from
Jackson we were ordered rite on
down thare the [worst?] time I ever saw
in my lief when we got thare
the yankeys had beat our forces
back Cut the 7th Tenn Regt all to
peaces only come out with 125 men
the first we noed tha had us verry
nie Surrounded the yankey forces are
Sixty five thousand Strong our
forces about 3000 thousand Strong
we retreated back to Jackson & a
bout Sun up tha drove in our
picketts and at 5 Oclock of all [that?] Roaring of cannon it was then
our Regt was throwd out
on the left wing as Skirmishers
we did not get to fire a gun at
them I can tell you the bums and
cannon Balls flew a round so thike it was
any thing but pleasant til our Regt
fired on the twenty fifth 25th Ga Regt
through a mistake
[page 3]
I dont noe how I would Stand it
in close quarters but I did not get
excited attall in this when we went
on the Battle field it was raining
a bout as hard as you ever saw
it rain and the boys all stood it
very well and next think we
noed tha had us very nie currounded
agane and General Pemberton
ordered us to retreat and that in
a hurry we esscaped with or
Guns but lost ever thing elce
I have not got a Suit of close
only what I have got on nor
neither has are a man in the
Regt I have not even got a pare Socks
we done well to Save our Selves
as we came through town
tha set fire to all the Goverment
Stores and thare several
hundred thousand dollars worth
tha got a good ma[n]y of our brigaid
Prisners tha have got Dr Manville and
Judge Irven I gess we
have not seen nor herd from
them since the fight sopened
the 46th Ga and 24th S.C. suffered
dredfully there forces (yankey) were concentrated
[page 4]
mostly on them tha giv up the
field with a great many dead
left on it the yankeys
cavelry have following us
all day pick up our men that
give out on the march it
is the mudeys Count[r]y when
it rains you ever Saw the
mud ankle deep all the
we are the mudeyest set of
men you ever saw in your
lief we are retreating back
for to get renforce ment
from vicksburg wich will
get her to morrow or next
day then I think we will
attack them we will Bag
Shore for tha are to fer
from ther Boats to retreat
be we will still retreat tel
them forces comes I dont noe
where to tell you to rite me
at nor I dont noe when I
will rite you a gane the yank
got all my paper & invelup I must
close Kiss all the childering
for me so fare well for
this time A J White
[crosswritten on the page]
you must Excuse bad
writing & spelling for I had
to do in a very short
time