to Tenn. It made me think of good old times. We returned back by way of Lafayette,
Ft. Donelson, and Ft. Henry, and from there by boat to Paducah, a dirty, ragged,
hungry, tired, set of men. While at [Ft.]Donelson, I received a letter from James and your
ma, written the sixth day of Sept, when we was there before. It was the first I knew of May going to [undecipherable] for me. God bless him, he is a good and true friend. As we passed
[Ft.]Henry, I had a letter from your ma and Leander. The first I had heard from home
since we left here on a march. We have some good jokes with our hard times. I will
tell you one. A great many negroes follow us and their masters come and try to get
them away and a good many get them and a good many does not. One Secesh came one
morning where we was camped (just before we started for a days march) and found his
negro. He hitched his horse and caught the darkey by the back of the neck and led him up to Ransom and while proving
