Helena March 17th / 63 Bro John I recd. a letter from Sate & Lore to day in which you wrote a little and wanted to know why I dident write to you you [sic] say that you have written four letters to me since I have wrote to you I think thear is a mistake Some whear I know I have answerd your last letter I get papers very often but the most of them are from Caswell John you must remember that I don't have the time or chance to write as you do all the time I have to day to write is from 11 ½ am till 1 ½ PM in the fore noon we have to drill and yesterday we commenced Brigade drill we had a good drill thear was 4 reg of Infintry besides ours about 1000 Cavalry and Artillery Gen Gorman drilled us but McGunis commands our Brigade [2] [illegible] P Havey our division Gorman the Post of Helena & Prentiss the [struck: depart] department we like all of them but Gorman [struck: but] he though we drilled as well as old soldiers yesterday I wish you could have seen us well about writing you must see that I dont know have much time to write any one of the many that I coraspond with I write to twelve different ones but I begin to think that it is to much work and that I had better drop some of them but I shall always write to my own folks if to no one els I like to write when I have time but if I can't get time I shall have to let the letters go I dont see why Joan cant write I know she use to write to boys at the war why cant she write to me I have no news to write as I know you must know a great deal more about the war and how we are getting along with whiping the Rebels than we do thear is considerable [3] going on around Helina troops are going down the river almost evry day the most of them go down the Yazoo pass they seem to be bound to take Vicksburgh and I realy hope they will that once taken will have a great effect on the rebels Do you belong to the Democratic Club if you [inserted: do] I want to know it I hope you dont I had rather see [inserted: you] in the Rebel army than in Kribs Hall to a meeting of that [inserted: club] I understand the Copperheads are drilling in the north I wish the Gov of our State would call home a few of us and let us go at them I would Shoot my own brother if as soon as I would a Snake [struck: if] if I Should see him in the ranks of such a God forsaken set of trators it makes me mad to think of it and thear is just this about it I wont write or do I want to hear from any ones that does and any one that writs to me that belongs to that tribe I shall take [4] it that they mean to insult me this war has got to be ended by fighting and thear can be but two parties engaged in it Patriots & Trators I am glad I enlisted I feel proud that I belong to the Union army if I live through it it [sic] will be something to think of in after years, if I die it will be in the [inserted: best] cause a man ever died in I feel good all the time and have never been home sick an hour I wish my own folks felt as well Creglow starts for home this afternoon I have not heard from Mr Spear yet I barely think he will come down here to se us we have lost another man Walter Hume died in the Hospital to day he had the typhoid fever he was one of our best boys John I have wrote this in a great hurry but I guess you can read it From, Dolph Damuth