Letter written by Henry Welch, corporal in the 123rd New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment, Company K, to his uncle and aunt from Forest Mills, Tennessee, March 23, 1864

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PAGE IMAGE Forest Mills Tenn. (Tennessee) (Forest Mills, Tennessee) March 23rd -64 Dear Uncle (Tanner, Franklin) and Aunt (Tanner, Franklin (Mrs., Polly C.)) (Tanner, Polly C. (Mrs. Franklin Tanner)) .

I received your ever
welcome letter yesterday, I am very glad to
hear that you are all well up on the
old hill, and hope his may find you
still in the enjoyment of good health.
I well these day's and feeling firstrate
we are still guarding the workmen that
are takeing (taking) up the Mcminnville (McMinnville, Tennessee) railroad
we are having gay old time's here
now, we move one mile every
day, but we have very little duty
to do. the regt in camp drills five
hour's each day, that's poor for them
the boy's laughed at us when we come
out here because they thought they was
going to have the best of us but now
they have to drill and we think
the laugh is now on our side.
the boy's are all well I believe. Philo (Philo)
has not arrived to the regt. yet.

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PAGE IMAGE a squad of eighty guerillas mad (made) a
raid on the railroad up near where
Co. E. (Company E) is stationed, they tore up a rail
run the train off the track and
plundered everything, they robed (robbed) the
passenger's of all they had watche's money
and even striped (stripped) some of them of
their cloths (clothes). Co. E. (Company E) had a short skirmish
with them and killed two of them
they passed within six mils (miles) of us
but did not see fit to make us a call
our cavalry has since captured thirty
of them, and put them all out of the
way, they were either hung or shot
after they were captured. there is
no mercy shown a guerilla if he
is taken, and its not likely they
will show us much if they take
us. the boy's all say they will never
be taken alive by a guerilla for my
part I prefer death by shooting instead
of hanging so I shall never surender (surrender)
to one of these low lived cowardly
guerillas. I saw a tree when we were

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PAGE IMAGE out to Boon's  HillBoon's Hill where they had
hung three of our men, they threw
a rope over a limb and drew them
up as they would so many dog's. well
Aunt Polley (Tanner, Franklin (Mrs., Polly C.)) (Tanner, Polly C. (Mrs. Franklin Tanner)) I see that the folks up there
still keep getting married. I guess they
dont think much about the soldier
Boy's. if they keep on I dont know but
I shall reenlist out of pure spite,
but on the whole I rather think not
for when I serve three years I have
served my part, and at that time
I shall say good bye to a soldier's life.
I hardly think Mary Herron (Herron, Mary) done as well
as she would to have had Frank (Frank) , but
I am not acquainted with Mr Blossom (Blossom (Mr.)) .
I know though that Frank Nelson (Nelson, Frank) is a
good fellow. we are having very nice
weather, it seems the same as it used
to up there the middle of May, the rainy
season is over again, and we are now
looking for and dreading the hot
weather. it is reported that Dave Rogers (Rogers, David)
is to put in Lieut in our company

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PAGE IMAGE the boy's all say that if he is they
will lay down their arms and refuse
to do duty under him, if anything
of the kind happens I shall not be
one of the backward ones in it. I am
always ready and willing to do my duty
at any place or any time. but to have
Dave Rogers (Rogers, David) placed over us as an oficer (officer)
is outrageous, and if we can do
anything to prevent it we shall shurely (surely)
do it. Wiley (Wiley) is enough for one Companey (company)
you must excuse poor writing for the
woods is a poor place to write in and we
are in the woods here, in ernest (earnest) for
it is three miles out of them the
nearest way. I do not think of anything
more to write so I will close. good bye

from your
Nephew Henry Welch (Welch, Henry) P.S.

I will send you a ring
in this letter, write soon
Henry