Camp near Hamburg, Tennessee

April 30^th, 1862

My Dear Wife:-

I know that you are very anxious about me.  I will therefore take every opportunity of dropping you a few lines.  My health is better than when I wrote to you two days ago.  Since then we have moved about four miles farther south and are now that distance from the river.  It takes great deal of hauling to supply such an army as we have here and the roads are almost impassible, but they are being made good very fast.   It is hard work to get cannon over such roads as we have here.  The weather keeps wet and cool, making it very wet and disagreeable moving around and camping out.  This is the first encampment that we have made since we landed here.  Our duties are about the same that they are for common, except at Point Pleasant where we had the heaviest duties to do that we have done in the service.  We are well supplied with provisions now, and good provisions, except the crackers.  We have been troubled with mouldy bread (crackers).  I return all that is mouldy but when one side of a box or barrel is mouldy the rest tasted of it.  We get some as good smoked hams as you ever saw.  We again today heard cannonading towards Corinth but have not heard the cause or effect.  Guess they was shooting at each other.  I hope they wont kill any body but take a lot of secesh prisoners.  Our lines extend for several miles across the country and as fast as they move there is telegraph lines put up.  There is two lines extending south and southwest from the river, one from Pittsburg landing and one from Hamburg.  The land here is very poor, being rather hilly.  The hills are almost as red as I paint Brown (???).  In the Hollows there is some rocks of a gravelly nature, which seem to be full of iron.  There is also good springs. The timber is very poor.  Post oak and Black jack with an occasional chestnut and scrubby Beech along the hollow.  There is no farms here that any one lives on.  I see an occasional place that reminds me of the Lassater place and these places up in there.  What few acres that I do see, have been cultivated in cotton last.  There is a cabin close to here with several hundred pounds in it.  Our men use it to sleep on.  The house is used as a guard house for our Regiment.  Our Colonels tent is close to it.  We was mustered for pay today, but we may not see the money for some time.

Good bye

William A. Smith