March 18 th 1864 Camp nere
Licking Creek
Dear friends I am engoying good
helth I hope you ar engoying the
Same grait blesing I was on
picket last nite but got in
just in time to See a grait lot
of Cavelry going out to the
frunt I gess they wer kilpat [1]
rcks men that had made
the raid to Richmond some
time a go now I must tell
you a bout our last Recanoi[tere?]
Six Companeys of our Redt
went out on the 14th of March
and formed in a Skirmish
line and Scoured the Country
in Serch of girilas after
[Searching?] un till Some
of the men was a bout played
out we returned to Camp
without geting a gurilla or
loosing a man but we Seen
a good deel of the Country
[page 2]
that we hadent been in
yet and we went past Some
farm houses that had familys
living in yet at one house
there was Some young wemen
Standing in and a bout the
door and they was as ugly
as a brish fence Staked and
ridered with bull toads and
there was an other door filled
with darkyes we Could see
there ivory Shining 5 road
of han but we ar prety well
used to darkeys there is a
negre boy that visits us Some
times that we pull a good deel
of fun out of him and a good
deel of infurmation to he
Cant reed or Speel but he
is trying to lerne I think he
is as Smart a boy as ever I
Seen to not be educated
we asked him if he wasent a
fraid of being kiled in batle he
Said not much for it is gods will
he must put up with it and if its
Gods will that he wont be kiled
he wont be kiled I asked him ho
told him that he Said no body but
his one knollage