Mobile=Ala= May 13 ’65
Miss Almeda Carhart:
Dear Sister
I have received three letters from you since I have written and I think it now about time to answer some of them.. one I received yesterday and two the day before.. you spoke of not hearing from me very often. I will acknowledge that I have not written as often as I should have done.. but if you could know just how I have been situated since I came to the Regt last you could not blame me much for not writing oftener. I beleave I was at McIntoches Bluff when I last wrote on the 6th of this month we were there working on the Fort that our Div had been sent there to build.. and about 10 o’clock Ten Benton came round and told us that he had an official report that Gen Dick Taylor had surrendered his command to Gen Canby.. he said he would like to make us a speech but his feelings would not permit of it.. he said the Rebel fleet was at Demopoliz and would be down in a few days and we would then go to Mobile. he told the detail that were at work on the Fort to take their spades and picks up to his Hdqrs and pile them up and go to choo-ping wood for the Rebel fleet to run to Mobile and to let the fort go th H..l. On the 2nd part of the fleet came down and on the 9th the rest of it came and we got on board and came down and went in to camp two miles from the City of Mobile and we are now fixing up for an expedition suppose for Texas.. Old Kirby Smith thinks he is not whiped yet but I guess he will think somewhat diferent when we get after him.. if we have to fight him we will not show him much mercy.. I think by the time my term of service expires the fighting of the rebelion will be over.. all east of the Miss River have surrendered & it will not take us long to make the other side come to line. My health continues to be good the boys from Berlin are well. Melve received very sad news.. the death of his Mother.. I have no news to write.. you know more about affairs that I do.. All good news.. we are going to be inspected tomorrow by Col Brown and got to come out in grand style so I will have to stop and go to fixing up for it. clean my Gun and acoutrements, scower Boots Black my shoes Wash my fase.. and wipe my nose & put on more style than a Tirky Gobler.. If I live and dont die and have no bad luck I will be home after about 3 months.. then I can tell you more in an hour than I can write in three weeks.. I cant write half as good as I could two years ago.. I rather do anything else than to write letters and there is no one that likes to get them better than I… I will stop for this time. write soon and oblige your Brother
Lucius Carhart.. Co D. 96 Batl OVI