Fort Smith. July. 12. 1864
Dear Father
I know sit down to write yow
A letter to let you[t?] know that I am
well and we have left out old fort we
are now in a fart between the
[Aenduwck?] bridg and the chone bridg
we marched on friday morn it is about
fore miles and about the same distanc
from the city saturday morn we
woke up at one ocloock thay said
that the fort was goin to be atack
in a few minutes thay marched
us down and gave wus muskets there
into the fort we haint seen any
thing of the rebs get but thay are
only a few miles from here said
to be at palls Church thay have
maid one raid an battoinare
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doing no damage to speek of
we have got the chief of arts word
that after the rebsis driven back
thot he will mount us we wont
have to keep the muskets long
the rebs seem to be makeing a
quite a spred in meryland but
thay will soon be checked
we took a prisoner the other day
just below the hill six of us was
goin down to have a swim he was
descovered and we seesed him
and bound him marched him
up to the captain and he is in
the guard house he is a smart
looking man but he dident
make it tell that time there
is an atack on fart lincaln
to day we dont know how
thay have made it we can here
the fireing at diferent ntavals
Fort Lincoln is on th
road to bladens burg from
Camp Barry thay have made
an atack on fart by lincoln
because it is on the hiest
ground and comands
The City if thay dont
look out prety sharp thay
will get in a trap
part of the six care has arived
I will send a minature in
this thot I had taken some
months ago
pleas write soon
Give my love to all yours
J. P. Campbell