Monday after
Christmas. I set [Dec. 29, 1862]
on the south bank of green river
and cast a wish ful eye twords
Ohio soil. I halve got the head
ache to day. I found my
brother John here and halve
stayed with him all knight
and day I halve not saw
him sence. I am going over
to se him to morow if
nothing hapens. we are
looken for afight all the
time here. we halve seven
thousand strong here. the
rebles are said to be forty
to sixty strong. they halve
come in be hinde ous and
[page 2]
burnt some bridges and
tore oup the track with
in four miles of our Camp
we dar not leave our camp
we are guarding abridge
over green river that is one
hundred and twenty feet
hy. they are bound to hal
ve this bridge if they can
get it. there has ben to
fights here on this ground
the third will bee ahard
one. the rebles whiped ous
one of the batles we will
give them the best turn
we halve. we are well
fortified here we can
stand our ground if
[page 3]
they dont come to stro
ng. our pickets has
ben fiting for several
days we halve took some
rebles and they halve
took some of our men
the rebles has cut of
our supplies behind
ous I dont no when
you will get this letter
we are of 5 miles south
of lewis ville. our rash
ons is small. I halve
some of lizas beef yet
there is no fences down
here they are all burnt
oup no good houes people
moved out and gon
[page 4]
the night after christmas
inever saw it rain harder
irote Almira aletter the
other day we halve moved
since that over the river
to front the eanmy
Mary Elen you halve got
a good home liza will
take good care of you
the last day of the month
I halve ben over and saw John
to day heis in the 25 Mich
our rashens is 9 crackers pur
day and coffee. our lines is
cut of on both sides. thereis
fiting on all sides of ous. you ar
truly love well childe from
E. J. Gorham to Mary E. Gorham