Camp on Buzzards Creek, Alabama

Friday evening, Sept 12^th, 1862

My Dear Wife:-

I again have the privilege of addressing you.  I wrote to you from Town Creek dated 5^th, just one month from the time I was there and sent you a paper.  We stayed at Town Creek till Sunday morning when we started on the march for Tuscumbia.  I bought me a mare seven years old, with a saddle and sabre on her.  The 8^th Wisconsin had captured her from the rebel cavalry.  I got her for eight dollars and sold the saddle for five.  Now I have the mare and sabre for three dollars.  I think she will suit me very well.  I still ride the mule that I took from Mr. Lile.  I will ride him till we get to Iuka, when I will have to turn it over to the Quartermaster.  When we got to Tuscumbia, I received yours of the 27^th ultimo.  I was glad to hear from you.  We camped about one mile south of Tuscumbia and remained till Monday morning when we got up rather unceremoniously and marched up through town and remained saddled all day.  Late in the evening the train of cars came and then our teams and the infantry was set in motion for Iuka.  Our Regiment was formed in lines across the principle streets at the outskirts of the town, where we remained while the cars was being loaded with commissary stores and cotton, and about midnight the cars left and we formed in column and rode out of Tuscumbia, one of the best towns of northern Alabama.

While the cars was being loaded, some one set fire to a carriage shed and the officers set the men to keep the fire from spreading.  There was no other building caught from it.  We marched till about 4 o’clock in the morning, when we came to Cane creek and turned in for the night!

Tuesday morning we marched to Dixon, ten miles, and stayed till Wednesday morning, when we was ordered back to Cherokee Station.  We stayed her till Thursday morning, when four of our companies went on a scout back to Cane Creek by a circuitous route.  We got back to camp about two o’clock and found marching orders.  At sundown we was out on the road and on the move.  We moved a few miles and camped for the night.  This morning we again took up the line of march and came about two miles and was ordered to stop here; there is three companies of us here.  Companies “L”, “T”, and “M”.  I cannot tell you anything about how long we will stay here.  We may possibly stay several days, then again we may march in the morning.  I can give you no satisfaction in regard to our movements.  I know that we will go to Iuka in a very few days and perhaps to Corinth.  IT is plain to you that we have gained nothing in this part of the field, since the evacuation of Corinth and even Corinth was not worth the cost of taking.  It was an empty haul, unless we could keep possession of the Memphis and Charleston railroad.  It is now raining here.  I saw Eli W. Jones and John Gaut at Tuscumbia.  They are both well.  Their Regiment has gone towards Corinth.

There is a lot of Alabamians joined the 26^th Illinois.  William Arnold found one that he was raised with.  He says that one of the Gauts brothers is in the southern army, but that none of William Arnolds are.  You sent me plenty of paper and envelopes, but I need more envelopes than paper for now I draw paper, but not stamps.  I draw paper and plain envelopes from headquarters.  I will need some stamps after awhile, then you can send them in a letter.