Dear & beloved wife

I take my pencil to inform you that I am in the enjoyment of good health & I hope god in his rich mercy has granted the same to you & the children for which we ought to be thankful & pray for the Continued of the same. Your kind letter of the 13th came to hand 2 days ago when we were at Cairo & I read it with pleasure I am always thankful for Sech favors. I wrote to you from Oceloa Ark 1 week ago & to day we are some 350 or 400 miles from there by river. The map will show the distance by land. We have been 10 days on the boat & I have slept on the upper deck every night. It has rained 4 days. It is clear & warm to day & the woods is green like June in Iowa. We landed here this morning. There has been some hard fighting here. I have no means of knowing the number of our troops here. Rumor says Buregard has 130 thousand Sechesh troops between here & Corinth. Lieut Foster & 30 men were fired at. They were on a Scout some 6 miles from here. We expect warm work here before many days & we know not who may fall in battle. Our Co is all here. A Crawford & J Mc Cob are both writing home now. Well I have little news to write as you get the news of the war sooner than we do. We all hope it will soon be closed that we may be able to return to loved ones at home.

Try & get along as well as you can in my absence. I hiope the day will soon come that we will meet to part no more in life. It is 6 months since I was at home. It appears an age to me. Dear Cassy write often & I will write when I can. I can not cary paper with me when we are on a march as my knapsack is boxed up & paper & pen & ink in it. I always keep on hand if I can get at it. This what you Sent me in your Last. Well my respects to you all with my love. Take wire (?) no more. Yours with respect while life Shal last

Adieu H. Johnson

 

"Adieu H. Johnson's Father write to his Son"

Dear son

Your letter was red & read witrh pleasure. Write again & often. I have nothing to write, as I know not what you are doing at home. Take good Care of your mother & the Children & you will have your reward in life & eternity. No more. Your Pa.

H. Johnson