Letter written by Henry Welch, corporal in the 123rd New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment, Company K, to his father from Elk River, Tennessee, January 14, 1864

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PAGE IMAGE Elk  River (Elk River, Tennessee) Tenn. (Tennessee) (Elk River, Tennessee)   Jan 14th 164 1864 My dear Father (Welch, Luther)

It is with the greatest pleasure that I seat
myself to write a few line's to you. I am
well as usual and sincerely hope this
may find you all in good health too.
we have had a week or two of very
cold weather and a little snow but
it has come off warm and to day it
is very pleasant. you see by the heading
of my letter that we have left Bridgeport (Bridgeport, Alabama)
we have taken the back track and now
we find ourselve's Seventy miles only
from Nashville (Nashville, Tennessee) . it is a very pleasant
place and healthy. we are guarding
the Bridge across Elk River (Elk River, Tennessee) . our duty
is not so heavy as it was at Bridgeport (Bridgeport, Alabama) .
Elk  River (Elk River, Tennessee) is the finest stream that I ever
saw its water is clear and crystal we
are going to get some canoe's if we
stay here long and then we will have
great sport. we will live an Indian's
life almost complete - and if we get
hold of any of these guerillas we will
try our hands at scalping a little.
Father (Welch, Luther) I received your letter when we
first come here you wrote that you
was glad that we had good quarters
and hoped we would stay in them

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PAGE IMAGE well when I read your letter we were
out in the woods none of us had any
tents and it was snowing at that and
oh dear how cold we staid (stayed) out in the
woods three days then the regt that
was here left and we moved into
their shanty's we found good quarters
here. I had much rather stay here than
where we was. the car's dont stop here so
we can't get any papers please send me
a paper once and a while. it is reported
that the bushwhackers are pretty thick
about here. Col. Rogers (Rogers, James C. (Colonel)) went out with about
one hundred men to see if they could
capture any guerillas they went out five
mile's and staid (stayed) over night they put
out pickets at night, one man was shot
on his post about nine o clock the ball
went through his heart he gave a groan
and died. his name was Nathan Lanphere (Lanphere, Nathan)
of Co A (Company A)  Philo (Welch, Philo) will know who he is. the fellow
that shot him got away but he dropped his
hat and gun his name was on his gun
they captured his Brother and Father and severel (several)
others. I could not go out with them I had
to go on camp guard that day. but I must
close I send my love to you and all the
family write soon good bye

from
your son Henry Welch (Welch, Henry)