Dear father and mother

I seat myself once more to let you no that i am well and hartey and i hope this may find you all the Saim I Got your letter of January the 19 lettia of the 19 and the one you rote the 21 and Sent me Some Srtamps i Got them i was Glad to fore i had Sent the last one to ohio i Got these letters the night bee fore we left rolla anbd it was 9 oclock at night when i Got them and i had this time to right to you but i rote to you on Sunday bee fore I well give you a Sketch of our march we left rolla January the 28 went 7 miles the first day Camped it was raning hard we Struck tents and Cut bresh for to lay on fore the night and the Snow was 2 inches deep in the marning we only went 9 miles the next Day and then we went 2 miles the next Day and Crost the GasConade we Got to ita bout 9 oclock in the morning and it was 12 at night when we all Got a Crost we had to fery it on a boat only 30 feet long and 11 feet side it was Slow work we Got over all right it is the Swiftest Stream i ever Saw it is awful we left the next morning and went 6 miles that Day and the next Day 5 miles and the next Day 11 miles and the next Day 10 miles and the next Day 16 miles and the next Day 7 that is to Day we Got to lebnon it is 60 miles from rolla to lebnon and the awfulest rods i ever Saw in my lief it is as hilly as our timber a long the wapsey river and you no how it is there and it is mudy as it Can be if you wont to Sell out Dont Come to misora fore if this world was a nof misora wad bee the ass hole we no what it is to bee a Solger now we had to evry night Cut fresh bresh fore to lay Down to lay on we Spred down one blanket and put the rest over us i will tell you father it is hard but lots of funn to See all the rejment travel but then it is hard to travel all Day and then lay Down on bresh and rest but then we doo it with a free will we take it Cool and easey all the time mother i Got the letter you rote to me the Jan 28 and the one henry rote the Saim Day i Got them to Day they was at lebanon bee fore it was i have Got the Stamps and i wont you to Send me Some more after while i havent Got any pay this time i dont think we will Git any more pay untill we air Diss Charged and i dont Care if you will Send me Stamps i dont want to rite anyone only you any more i cant afford it oh yess i fore Got to tell you that lorance Easterly is ded he Dyed at franklin he took Sick the Day we left franklin fore rolla and he had to leave him and he only lived 3 Days after we left there we was 20 miles from rolla when we heard that he was ded it was a Sad Story to us for he was a Good friend to me we had lots of funn to Gether he was So kind to me when i was Sick but we no not hoo will bee the next he was the first one that dyed out of our Company well father i will tell you what we air going to doo we air with in 40 miles of General price he Sais he is Going to fight this time if we wont to Come he Sais if we wont to Go to hell to Come on So we will try him General Curtis and General Sigel is Going from here to attract him and General lain and General mount Gumre on the other Side and General pope on his flank and General wyman on the left flank he is Surrounded com pleet and if the old Devel ever Gits out he will have to fight his way out and he has only Got 15 thousand and there is a bout 60 thousand of our armey Going to attackt him at once and if he Can beet us he will doo well i think we will Stay here to or thre Days Some of our officers Say we Go to morrow but i think we wont Go to morrow but yett i dont no but we air redy to Go any time well i must Close tell henry and tishy that they must right to me evry Sundy but i Cant right to you all Seperat any more paper is hard to Git and i Can right all the nues in one letter and i hat to right the Saim thing over and you no i aint Got a Good Chance to right like i had at Camp Scott but you Shal hear from me evry Chance I Git to right, it is hard to Git a letter Started I Dont expect after we lieve from this plaice i dont think there will be a Chance to Send a letter back after we lieve here I will right Someone a nother Sheet.
from B. F. Harrison

—transcribed by Majorie Nemitz

Dear Father and Mother,
I seat myself once more to let you know that I am well and hearty and I hope this may find you all the same. I got your letter of January the 19, Lettia's of the 19 and the one you wrote the 21 and sent me some stamps. I got them. I was glad to, for I had sent the last one to Ohio. I got these letters the night before we left Rolla and it was 9 o'clock at night when I got them and I had this time to write to you, but I wrote to you on Sunday before.
I will give you a sketch of our march. We left Rolla January the 28. Went 7 miles the first day. Camped. It was raining hard. We struck tents and cut brush for to lay on for the night and the snow was 2 inches deep in the marning. We only went 9 miles the next day and then we went 2 miles the next day and crossed the Gasconade. We got to it about 9 o'clock in the morning and it was 12 at night when we all got across. We had to ferry it on a boat only 30 feet long and 11 feet wide. It was slow work. We got over all right. It is the swiftest stream I ever saw. It is awful. We left the next morning and went 6 miles that day and the next day 5 miles and the next day 11 miles and the next day 10 miles and the next day 16 miles and the next day 7. That is today we got to Lebanon.
It is 60 miles from Rolla to Lebanon and the awfulest roads I ever saw in my life. It is as hilly as our timber along the Wapsey river, and you know how it is there, and it is muddy as it can be. If you want to sell out, don't come to Missouri, for if this world was a nof Missouri would be the ass hole.
We know what it is to be a soldier. Now we had to every night cut fresh brush for to lay down to lay on. We spread down one blanket and put the rest over us. I will tell you father, it is hard, but lots of fun to see all the regiment travel. But then it is hard to travel all day and then lay down on brush and rest, but then we do it with a free will. We take it cool and easy all the time.
Mother, I got the letter you wrote to me the Jan 28 and the one Henry wrote the same day. I got them today. They was at Lebanon before I was. I have got the stamps and I want you to send me some more after while. I haven't got any pay this time. I don't think we will git any more pay until we are discharged and I don't care if you will send me stamps. I don't want to write anyone, only you anymore. I can't afford it.
Oh, yes, I forgot to tell you that Lawrence Easterly is dead. He died at Franklin. He took sick the day we left Franklin for Rolla and we had to leave him and he only lived 3 days after we left. There we was 20 miles from Rolla when we heard that he was dead. It was a sad story to us for he was a good friend to me. We had lots of fun together. He was so kind to me when I was sick, but we know not who will be the next. He was the first one that died out of our Company.
Well, Father, I will tell you what we are going to do. We are within 40 miles of General Price. He says he is going to fight this time if we want to come. He says, if we wont to go to hell to come on. So we will try him. General Curtis and General Sigel is going from here to attract him and General Lain and General Montgomery on the other side and General Pope on his flank and General Wyman on the left flank. He is surrounded complete and if the old devil ever gets out, he will have to fight his way out and he has only got 15 thousand and there is about 60 thousand of our army going to attack him at once and if he can beat us, he will do well. I think we will stay here two or three days. Some of our officers say we go tomorrow, but I think we won't go tomorrow. But yet, I don't know, but we are ready to go any time.
Well, I must close. Tell Henry and Tishy that they must write to me every Sunday, but I can't write to you all seperate anymore. Paper is hard to get and I can write all the news in one letter, and I hate to write the same thing over. And you no I ain't got a good chance to write like I had at Camp Scott, but you shall hear from me every chance I get to write. It is hard to get a letter started. I don't expect after we leave from this place I don't think there will be a chance to send a letter back after we leave here. I will write someone another sheet.
from B. F. Harrison

Edited by Richard Harrison