Jonas H. Roe
October 27, 1863
  
  

No 3 since I returned
    1863   
Dear Wife. Vicksburg Oct 27
             I received a Letter from you dated Oct 4th 1863 + I answer it immediately in hopes to get another soon I wrote a Letter to you dated Oct 4th No 1 + also one dated Oct 14th No 2 + this one dated Oct 27th No 3 please No all of yours by so doing I will know if I receive all that you send. I informed you in the Letter No 1 that my mule was lost on the scout while I was home - + I will have to loose it as I had no right to draw pay on a mule I will draw pay for a horse all the time however When I returned I bought a horse + paid or I am to pay Seventy dollars for him he is a young Bay horse 6 years old last spring since I bought him I had him appraised by the U.S. Appraisers he was appraised for one hundred and ten Dollars he is a good horse I have paid down 27 dollars the other 43 dollars I am to pay in two equal payments. Letter No 2 will inform you that we were just going out on a Scout Our Scout was large not less than 20 thousand including 16 Cannon. in the afternoon of the 15th we came on the Rebels about 2 miles east of Brownsville Miss. our Regt did the advance + the fighting was desperate but we drove them from the field but the fighting + skirmishing lasted until night the next day we skirmished all day. they had several peices of Artillery sometimes the Artillery firing on both sides was heavy towards night of the 16th the Rebels made a stand on a very high hill our Infantry + Artillery was brought up + Artillery fighting + Infantry skirmishing was kept up until after night. during the night about midnight our Regt was ordered to surround a Rebel Picket Post which we did + took all prisoners that were on the Post No 12 The next morning our Infantry charged the Rebels on the hill + took it with the loss of 10 men. The Rebel loss I do not know 17 + 18 we skirmished all of the time with the Rebels I think we killed and wounded not less than 100 Rebels I think our loss all together was not over 30 or 35 we lost a good many horses + we killed a great many Rebel horses we returned from the scout on the 20th we took 100 prisoners - ???? + apple Butter lasted me through and was very good My health is improving I have been on duty ever since I returned John Allen is well + is going home soon We are expecting our pay soon + if I get it before John starts home I will send it by him in a Letter to you if I do not draw it in time to send by him or if he should not go home I will express it to you in care of J Beach as I did before we will get it within a few days Please write often excuse this bad writing I wrote it with a poor pen on my knee
Celina RoeIn loveJ.H. Roe

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