Camp Burnside

Indianapolis Ind

Feb the 16th /64


Dear Father & Mother

I seat myself
this eve to let you know that
I well & hope this may find
you better than wen I last
hurd hurd from home
I hurd by way of John Kim
mer that Mariah Hartzell
is dead hurd that she died
with the typhoid fever is their
any more got it I hope it will
not get in your family
The small pox is breaking
out here their was one of the
Clurks att head quarters
taken down with them &
[page 2]
was removed to town
also a reb taken out of the
prison with them
On thursday night last their
one of the guards at Camp

Marton [1] the reb prison discoverd
a rebel prisoner emerging
from a hole in the ground outside
of the incloseure and quick as
thought poped him over
The bullet took effect in his head
killing him instantly. His name
was James Barnhart of the 2nd
Missouri Regt An examination
of the ground led to the discovery
of two well constructed tunnels
one on the east & the other on
the north side of the camp
eache near twenty feet in length
and large enough to allow the
easy egress of a man The
barracks from which these
tunnels led was crouded with
[page 3]
presoners belonging in
other parts of the camp
who admited when questioned
next morning that they had
expected to escape that night
through the tunnels many
of them had supplied themseles
with extra rations & ware
barrers of letters from ather
prisoners to friends in dixie
Precautions have been taken
to prevent further tunneling
by digging a deep trench betw
-een the barracks & the fense
It is very cold here today
most as cold as it was new
yeas day The drum has
just beat for roll call must
stop for it no more
write soon Frank