8 



We left Cape Girardeau on the boat Ed Walsh on 22ond 

 day of May a Regt to a boat had ten boats we arrived at 

 Hamburg landing on 25th of May & went into camp there 

 untill the 27th when we marched out on the line of Battle 

 before Corinth & laid around there untill it was vacated. 

 My Company was on Pickett the night that they vacated 

 Corinth we could hear the cars whistleing and backing 

 around by the Eebels Hurrahing and halloA^^ng which we 

 supposed was them receiving reinforcements but we soon 

 found that they had vacated the impenetrable Corinth 

 next day. Since then we have been following them around 

 through Tihimingo Co & Liptah Co but have never had 

 a fight yet. We were ordered the other day to bring 25000 

 men to Richmond but that order was countermanded. We 

 were included in the number perhaps we will get to go 

 yet. I only hope so for if we go there & get through we 

 will have gone the rounds. We have orders now to march 

 at 2 Clock PM but the orders as usual does not say 

 where we are going with two days cooked rations in haver- 

 sacks & one cooked in wagons. Well Soldiering is hard 

 business I will assure you something you can form no 

 idea of untill you try it. but for all that I like the business 

 better & better every day. Orderly J B Goodner is \\ath 

 Company A 3rd Illinois Cavalry & we left that Regt in 

 Ark & have not heard from him since. I think if you hear 

 from him he will say that he and I could get along very 

 well together but there was other troubles in the way that 

 we could not well get over. I was very sorry indeed to 

 have him leave but he said he could not stay satisfied 

 therefore I let him go I had it entirely in my power to 

 let him go or stay but I thought perhaps he knew what 

 was best for him. I saw him once after he went into the 

 Cavalry he was well satisfied. I must bring this letter 

 to a hasty close as I want to write a letter home as there 

 is no telling when I will get a chance to write again. You 

 say you think I have lost my best friends in Albert & 

 Jo Bentson which I will admit, but I think I can safely 

 say that there is no one in my company but that is my 

 friend, & that can only be said by very few Captains. 

 I had company this morn of guns & after it was over I 

 went and told the Col to come to my company & see 

 their guns he came up & said that was the best company 



