Letter written by Henry Welch, corporal in the 123rd New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment, Company K, to his uncle and aunt from Bridgeport, Alabama, October 29, 1863

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PAGE IMAGEBridgeport  Alabama (Bridgeport, Alabama)
Oct. 29th 1863 Dear Uncle (Tanner, Franklin) and Aunt (Tanner, Franklin (Mrs., Polly C.)) (Tanner, Polly C. (Mrs. Franklin Tanner))

It is with
the greatest pleasure that I seat
myself to pen a few words to
you in answer to your letter
which I received a short time
since. we are in Alabama (Alabama)
again having pretty good
times now. this is the third
day we have been here its
the longest we have been in
any one place at a time since
we left the Potomac army (Potomac Army).
we are now in a fort near
the Tennessee  River (Tennessee River) all the
duty we do is to guard prisoner
and deserters from the rebel
army they come into our

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PAGE IMAGE lines every day sometimes
twenty or thirty together.
they all say that the next
battle will decide this war
if Bragg (Bragg, Braxton (General)) gets defeated they say
that his entire army will
disband if that is true you
will hear of Bragg (Bragg, Braxton (General)) army
disbanding in one month
from now fro (for) Gen: Grant (Grant, Ulysses S. (General))
will whip them just as shure (sure)
as he did Pemberton (Pemberton, John C. (General)) 's army (Pemberton's Army)
at Vicksburg (Vicksburg, Mississippi) . he is a General
that fights to whip and we all
have confidence that he will whip
the rebel army the next time he
fight's them well Uncle Franklin (Tanner, Franklin)
I see that you are getting a long
finely with your falls work
I realy (really) would like to be up
there and help you pick apples
awhile and to eat a few

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PAGE IMAGE next fall if I am alive
will find me in Washington County (Washington County, New York) for this war cannot
last untill (until) then. you will
think that this south western
climate a greese (agrees) with me pretty
well when I tell you that I weigh
179 pounds I want to gain one
pound more for I alway's thought
I would like to weigh 180 then I
shall be satisfied we have rather
short rations out here but when
we get short we go on to the
mountains and shoot a hog so
we manage to live pretty well.
my tent mates now are Horace
Dowd (Dowd, Horace)   Mike Donehue (Donahue, Mike) and Andrew
Harris (Harris, Andrew) they are all good fellows
Andy Harris (Harris, Andrew) sends his respects
to Louisa (Louisa) mine also tell
her that when this reaches you I hope
she will be in better health than

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PAGE IMAGE when you wrote to me last.
Aunt Polly (Tanner, Franklin (Mrs., Polly C.)) (Tanner, Polly C. (Mrs. Franklin Tanner)) I most forgot to tell
you that my shirts were just
the thing tell Mother (Welch, Luther (Mrs., Phebe)) that I was
suited once for I am most afraid
that when I was at home I was a
little inclined to find fault with
thing's that were not just so.
this trip a soldiering will do some
of us fellows good. if we ever get
out of it we shall know how to
aprceiate (appreciate) good things. I tell you
a fellow can get old here very
quick Uncle Franklin (Tanner, Franklin) used to
say that some folks ought to get
older. they can get older here without
much trouble. there was a report here
last night that Gilmore (Gilmore) had taken
Charlston (Charleston) (Charleston, South Carolina) . our men are fighting up
near lookout  mountainLookout Mountain, Tennessee we do not
hear yet how they are progressing
every soldier about here is in good
spirits we all think this war is nearly
over. I do not think of anything more
to write so I will close by sending
my love to you all good bye

from your absent
soldier Henry Welch (Welch, Henry)

direct here after to
Co K (Company K) 123rd (123rd Regiment, New York) 1st Brigade
1st Div. 12th AC
Nashville  Tennessee (Tennessee)