cont.)
and about the pretty Girls all being gone except Libbis Merrihue.. ” I should like to know where you keep your homely girls” I will explain to you the cause of her not getting my address and how the letter came to be sent at a proper time.. A that time I wrote to no less than fifteen. now I write to no more than my own folkes at home.. I will have to conclude the male goes out at 12 oclock & it is nearly that time now. my health is good I stand it better than I thought I should.. the boys from Berlin are well as usual. they send their best regards.. I am obliged to Anny McWilliams for her best wishes (that she has to spare) give her my respects & all the other nice girls. Direct to Co. D 96th Batl 1st Brig 3rd Div 13 A.C.via N. Orleans. write soon from Lucius Carhart
(Upside down across top of first page) I recieved a letter from Georges Folkes the 16th of March. they were well then. L.C.
(On a separate piece of paper) In the former part of my letter I spoke of one our Monitors being disabled. I now learn it was false report. Mobile Bay has a great many Torpedoes fixed in it & certain channels to run boats in which the rebels only are acquainted with.. our navy wishing to learn where the channel was studied up a little Yanky trick. one night they loaded one of the monitors with sand bags untill her deck was partly under water in the morning she appeared to have ran onto a torpedo which diabled her and was laying on a sand bar half sunk. the Rebs supposing this to be a fact ran out with one of their rams with the intention of bunting her to pieces.. when the ram got up pretty close they throwed of the sand bags and took after Mr. ram & run her back & in so doing found the channel where they had no torpedoes.. this was just a little Yanky trick.