Sunday Morning
Camp Drake
Murfeesboro Tenn
May the 17th
1863
Most Resped Brother DSI [1]
Dear Sir
it is with grat plasur that
I setdown to writ you
thes few lins
Som how a nother you dont
aswer my letters any mor
I em injoy ing midling
good helth and hop this
few lins will find you
injoy ing the Same Blesin
there is som talk
of moving from here
but I gues we wil not.
They talk of goin to To
Fort Donilson on the Tenn River
[page 2]
Mr Sir the war news
is not very good I dont
think
Old Hooker [2] has had
a pirt Big defeet [3] I think
in a cordin to the papers
But if they could git
that place I should think
there was a prospect
of this war ending som
tim
We ar giting a long with
Brest wuke [4] pirty well
the helth of the Drupes [5]
is good at the present
tim
We dont hav any
fiting to do here the
Mounted infantry
gos out Skouting Som
tims and has a
chirmish with the
Rebls
[page 3]
O I must ask
you if you hav seen
Miss Pheady Rice
or not
Pleas tel how the
folks gits a long
tel the old man to
Writ
I wil tel you My Song
Here I be as
You ol disciver
Fiting I ore the
Godamd Negros
Writ Soon and
oblig you Dearest
Friend Owen D Ivins

O D Ivins
Forgit me not
[added in left margin]
Middleburg
Elkhart County
Ind