Jacinto, Mississippi

Tuesday, July 15^th, 1862

My Dear Wife:-

I yesterday received yours of the 4^th, 7^th and 10^th inst., and will now try to write you a reply.  I am glad to hear that the celebration at the Burgh went off in good style.  I hope that you may live to see many such.

I am sorry to hear of the sudden death of John Fosters babe.  I see by the paper that esquire Wills big house is burned down.

On last Wednesday evening I found that the Regimental Quartermaster was going to Corinth and I stopped from writing a letter to Mrs. Lee and went with him to Corinth to send some money to John Foster.  I sent him $100.00 which I hope he has received by this time (the mail is in and brings me a letter from Miss E.A. Hamilton which I will answer in a day or two.)  I took twenty nine hundred and seventy five dollars to Corinth to send to Illinois.  I stayed all night.  This is the first time that I have ever saw Corinth.  It is very poorly situated but has some very nice houses in it, but it has a sad, forsaken appearance.  Piles of ashes and rubbish mark the places where have stood stores, warehouses and depots, Oh! Such a waste of property.  Returning I passed by where there is hundreds of waggons collected together and nearly all partly burned up.  I had supposed that we had only a few troops now in this neighborhood, as our scouts are always off in a southern direction and we never see but a few Regiments, but it is sixteen miles from here to Corinth and it is literally a camp all the way, though I noticed the names of three Generals whose headquarters are on the road.  General Rosencranz, General Stanley and General Granger.  Then there is General Jeff. C. Davis, his headquarters are here in town.  Our headquarters is with Colonel Mysner at Rianza, eight miles west from here.  Then there is an endless lot of field artillery all though the country.  If the rebels should attack us we could yet give them something of a fight.

When I was about half way to camp I passed through a place where there was some Indians standing guard. These are the first that I have seen since I have been in the service, they are from Minnesota.  They would say “halt, got pass”.  I was halted by three different squads of them in Tuscumbia river bottom.  It soon bean to rain and I think the hardest rain that I ever saw fall, fell on me from there to camp.  The next night after that, Jack Foster waked up and Felix W. Arnold was trying to get his pants from under his head.  Jack spoke out and Felix laid down and laid still for a few minutes.  Then he got up and the boys watched him and he went over into Company “L” and commenced talking to a man there.  Clay missed his money, $111.15 but they did not have Felix arrested.  The next morning Clay went to Lieut. Lee and told him of it.  About the same time I went down the line to make out the sick report for the day and fell in with Jack and he commenced telling me of it.  Felix came up and heard Jack telling me and asked Jack what he said.  Jack told him that somebody had stole Clays money and the he caught Felix trying to steal his and that Felix was the one that stole Clays money.  At this Felix began to tremble all over, then he began to try to make light of the matter, but Jack told him that it would not win, for he had stole Clays money.  Felix then went across the road to the Commissary store, then down the side of the hill to a big stump, but Charlie Lee was watching him and ran towards him and called to Felix and asked him what he was doing.  Felix told him a lie and Charlie caught him in it by going to him, for he was grubbing behind the stump.  He jumped up and Charlie accused him of stealing the money and told him to give it up and Felix put his hand in his pocket and drew out Clays pocket book with all the money in it except the fifteen cents.  He then said that he took Clays money for a joke.  Charlie asked him why he buried it and he said that he was afraid some one would steal it from him (he was on guard himself).  They took him to the guard house and he is still there awaiting his trial. I have no idea when he will be tried.  His trial will be at Rianza.  What do you think of his case.  One man in our Regiment was caught asleep on guard post a few nights ago and had his trial last Friday and was sentenced to imprisonment three years or during the war.  I pity him but it will not do to allow sentinels to sleep on the posts.

Your uncle Montgomery is now a Lieut. in his company.  Success to him.  He stayed with us last night.

I wrote to Polly Lee and sent you a note enclosed.  I will expect a letter from Nancy in a few days.  I sent you Harpers Weekly from Corinth.  I think you have received it ere this.

The health of the Company is first rate, only five absent and five present sick.  None is in the hospital here of our Company.  My health could not be better except my nerves are as unsteady as a man eight years old.  I lay it to the powder, the surgeon lays it to the strong coffee.  I have never taken a dose of medicine for it.

Captain Ludwig of Company “M” resigned and went home to Randolph County.  One of the men of his company that had been discharged, got into a quarrel with him and killed him on the 3^rd inst.  The fellow escaped.

Our Company has been organized eleven months tomorrow.  Then two years and one month and I will come home if I keep well.

If you are tired of trying to read this, I will stop, promising to write again in a few days.

William A. Smith

P.S. Felix’s trial will be tomorrow.