Letter written by Henry Welch, corporal in the 123rd New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment, Company K, to his brother from Bridgeport, Alabama, December 1, 1863

---

PAGE IMAGE Bridgeport  Alabama
Dec. 1st. 1863 Dear Brother (Welch, John)

Once more
I seat myself to write a short
letter to you. I am in usual
health. at present and hope
these vew line's may find
you enjoying the same.
It's some time since I have
written to you but its not
been my fault for I have
not had time. I have just
got back from Nashville (Nashville, Tennessee)
four of us went up
there with a squad of
rebel deserter's we were
gone from here five day's
the distance is 125 miles
we had very bad luck
getting along the cars run

---

PAGE IMAGE off the track every little while
the train just ahead of us
run off from a bridge and
killed six negro soldier's.
the train that I was on
run off twice but no one
was killed. the road is
very much out of repair its
not safe to ride over it.
the prisoners passed through
the neighborhood where they
had alway's lived they saw
some of their old friends
along the route they found
that most of their house's
had been burned. still they
felt nice to think that they
had come out alive.
Well John (John) we have been
having some more fighting
down here the battle of
Chickamauga (Chickamauga, Georgia) has been fought
over again, the battle come out

---

PAGE IMAGE much different from what
it did the other time. the
latest new's is that Bragg (Bragg, Braxton (General)) 's
army (Bragg's Army) is twenty miles beyond
Chickamauga  creek (Chickamauga Creek) with Thomas (Thomas)
and fighting Joe Hooker (Hooker, Joseph (General)) close
after him he is evidently
trying to get out of the
way of the Yankee army
he may succeed in doing
so but I think that he will
lose the greater part of his
army before he does it. we
were lucky enough to be
left out of the fight this
time we are still in our old
quarters. today I heard an
officer that was through
the battle say that our men
had taken fifty cannon
and seventeen thousand
prisoner's. there is 6500 rebels
at this place now and 200

---

PAGE IMAGE officer's. I think that Bragg (Bragg, Braxton (General)) 's
army (Bragg's Army) is pretty well played
out and I also think that this
rebelion (rebellion) is about gone up
the latest news from Meade (Meade, George Gordon (General))
is that he is advanceing (advancing)
on Richmond (Richmond, Virginia) . I hear today
that John Morgan (Morgan, John) the notorious
guerilla has escaped from the
prison where he was confined
if it is so its the work of some
miserable low-lived copperhead
he could never got away with
out help. I wish that every copperhead
in the united states (United States of America) had their
miserable pelt's taken off
I think it would be the best
thing that ever happened to
the country I will close for I can
not think of any thing more to
write give my respects to all
my old friend's if there is
any out there that claim to
be such I send my love to
all the family excuse this poor
writeing (writing) I will take more pains
next time write soon and oblige

your absent Brother Henry Welch (Welch, Henry)