Town Creek, Alabama

Friday evening, Sept 5^th, 1862

My Dear Wife:-

I did intend to write to you day before yesterday, but it was our day to patrol the road and then I expected to write to you in the evening, but we got marching orders, so I did not have time on account of getting ready for the march.  I had wrote to you about last Friday, but I wanted to write to you again Wednesday, because it was the first day of my second year in the service of the United States.

I hope that before the end of this, my second year peace may be made and I be allowed to return home, yet the cloud hangs heavy and dark over us, and there is no telling when there will be an end to this matter.

In our neighborhood, things look rather gloomy.  We have been guarding the Memphis and Charleston railroad, but it appears that it costs more than it come to, for we were ordered to burn the ferry boat and turn the back end of our wagons towards Decatur.  We took up the line of march about seven o’clock yesterday morning and moved about twenty miles to Courtland and stopped about two o’clock and went into camp for the night.  In the evening the cars came to Courtland after the sick.  They brought us a mail, but nothing for me.  Allen Clow came on one of the wagons to there and then got on the cars.  His wound is getting along very well.  Sergeant Guy is about well and so is Lieut. Breeze.  This morning we started at sunrise and got here (8 miles) about ten o’clock.  The troops that are here had no orders to move, so we are now waiting to hear from Tuscumbia before we proceed on there.  There is only two companies stationed here, besides half of Company “M” of our Regiment and Major Koehler thinks it unsafe to leave the two companies of infantry here without any cavalry.  So he ordered us to stop here until further orders.  He has gone on to Tuscumbia and I think we will go on there in the morning.

I cannot tell where our Regiment is to go to.  We will report to Col. Misner at Tuscumbia, then there is no telling which way he will send us.  It is rather thought that we will go towards Russellville, Alabama.  Others think we will be set into Tennessee or Mississippi.  I had rather gone east from Decatur, but if I have to stay three years in the service, I may have the chance of going as far east as I want.  I think I would like to go into Carolina and Virginia, but there is to be some heavy battles fought there yet.  Bull Run and Manassas is to be fought over or remain in the hands of the enemy.  I have not received the Salem Advocate for some time.  I wish you would get pap to ask Ed Merritt if he still sends it.  I would be glad to get it every week.  We get the daily papers almost every day now.  If I get a letter from you tomorrow, I will try to answer it in a day or two.  I send you some seeds of the Muscadine.  They are a kind of grape that grows all over the bottoms.  They are about the size of our common plums, but grow only one in a place.  You can plant part of the seeds now and save a few and plant them next winter.  Plant them rather shallow and stick bushes along them to keep the sun from killing them.  I do not know whether the seeds will grow or not, but I know you will be willing to try them.  I find a great many things here that does not grow in Illinois, among them figs and pomegranates.  The figs are now ripe.  The pomegranates have ripe fruit and bloom on the tree at the same time.  The seeds are now getting ripe and you may expect some in my letters every now and then.  You will be careful in opening them and not spill them.  My health is very good.

Your husband,

William A. Smith