June 15th 63 Camped in the rear of Vicksburg
Dear Friends:
This is a very warm day. we are camped in a hollow about 800 yards from a Rebel Fort.. the Country here is very Rough.. deep hollows & high Ridges. It is not as healthy here as it was in Louisiana. There are good many having the Chills & Feaver.. nothing dangerous.. I have had 2 or 3 Chills.. but have got rid of them now.
We have not taken Vicsburg yet.. things are about the same they were two weeks ago but the Rebs cannot stand it allways.. They have got to give up some time.. for they are completley surrounded.. our men keep hectering them all the time.. by shelling them.. they scarcely get a chance to shoot a Gun (that
is a big Gun) the operations here seem to stur the hole armey.. both Northern & Southern.
it is reported that Gen Johnson is gethering a force and going to atact us in the Rear.. but I think he will fail to accomplish anthing.. for we have a larg force to protect us in that direction.. our men are fortifying all the time.
I wish you could see how we are situated here. I cannot discribe it as it is fixed.. the Rebel forts are in the shape of a horseshoe open to the rear.. rite to the rear of these forts is another fort that comands the first one.. so if our men make a charge and take the first forts the Rebs will fall Back to their other forts.. and they will be of no use to us.. to take from them… they have got it fixed up about right.. but I am afraid they will have to give it all up..
I have just been into the Rifle pit where I could see the 17th Battery fire into the fort.. the Rebs tried to fire one of their Guns this afternoon and the 17th Battery just Pluged the shell rit into the port holes made the …… fly ……. the Rebs could not fire a shot. there are some of the Rebs that have come over to our lines.. they Report that our shells kill & wound about one hundred a day.. and they kill and wound scarcely any of our
men.. there is no one hurt of our Regt yet by the Rebs.. since we have been here..
they had some pretty hard fighting Back at Port Gibson, Champion Hill & Black River Bridge.. but since they have been here we have lost very few.
I got a letter from you the other night dated May 31st. You said crops looked well. there is not much down here to look.. when we left Perkins Plantation 2 weeks ago corn was about as high as a mans head. about 5 feet.
times are rather hard. we do not draw full rations.. we have to by considerable and things are very high.. Chees 50 cts pr lbs.. butter 50 cts lb.. Eggs 50 cts pr dozen.. five cts loafs Bread 20 cts penny cakes two for 5 cts. dried apples 20 cts lbs. it costs money to live. while we were at Perkins Plantation we lived first rate. the Dewberries growed there by the Bushel.. we gathered them and we drew Flour.. and we made pied by the holesale.. but since we come up here we have to stay in this hollow and have no chance to gether anything..
You wanted to know if I thought it was safe to express some butter. There is no ofice here that I can get to very handy. and I guess it would be of no use to try to send any.
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