Jacinto, Mississippi

Thursday evening, July 17, 1862

My Dear Wife:-

Having wrote quite a lengthy letter to you yesterday, I have nothing of interest to write to you now, but only wish to drop you a line to let you know that I am quite well today.  I will still continue to send you a note every chance that I have, besides writing to you at least once a week.

The old letters I hope you will take care of for me, as well as any others that I may send you from time to time; as nobody but yourself will want to read them, you will put them in the drawer with my others and not put them with those I write to you, then if you ever want to see any of them you will know where to find them without trouble.

Felix W. Arnold had his trial yesterday but I do not know the finding of the court.  We will know in about a week, then I will write to you.  I sent you a pamphlet of the findings of Courts Martial, did you ever get it?

Two men of Company “L” was discharged and started home at noon today.  Two Lieutenants and four con-commissioned officers of this Regiment started home when I was in Corinth, to recruit for the Regiment.  If you hear of any one that wants plenty of work and good pay, besides the chance to help Uncle Sam a little, tell them to write to me and I will tell them all they may want to know about the matter.

I sent John Foster my certificate of appointment as corporal.  You will get it and take good care of it.  It may possibly be of use to you some time; you can remember the cases where proof of identity was hard to get, when such a paper as the one I sent you would be all that would be necessary, then the necessity of taking good care of it is apparent enough.

I think I will certainly get a letter from Lucy or Nancy in todays mail, which will soon be in and I will expect one from John Foster in a day or two.

It has been some time since I wrote to uncle M.T. Ballance.   I think he will soon write to me.

You need not be surprised if you get a letter from some of my friends in Tennessee that you have never saw.  You may perhaps remember a letter that I wrote there some time last summer.  I have lately heard of it, and expect you will receive an answer to it.  Tell me whether you are going to have any school in our District this summer or not.  Tell me how Diora and Byron got along reading and spelling at the last school.  Tell me about those grafts.  Why did so few of them live.

Expecting to get a big letter from you in a few days, and hoping that you and the children are all in good health.  I bid you good bye.

William A. Smith