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In camp near LaFayette, Ga. May 6th, 1864 Dear Parents; I sent you a letter from Shell Mound last Tuesday, and as I have a chance to send another, I thought I'd let you know that instead of guarding the railroad as some of the boys thought we would be doing this summer. We are down in Georgia hunting for the Rebs with a right smart chance of finding them, I think. We left Shell Mound Wednesday morning, Our regiment acting as wagon guard in the rear of the Division. Then the Division marched to Chattanooga, about 25 miles, but our regiment being behind the wagons and as a good many of the drivers were Green, and a good many of the mules balky we didn't get into camp until midnight. We were still 4 miles in the rear of the division. We started the next morning living the wagons behind and took the road to Ringgold. We caught up with the Division just as they went into camp for the night. We had marched 25 miles. We started again at sunrise this morning and marched until 9 in the morning when the Division went into camp. They told us to put up our tents so I think we will stay here over night. We are on a road leading to Rome, Georgia. About 10 miles ahead of us is a village called LaFayette, so if you have a map you can tell about where we are. The whole of the 20th corps is somewhere in front of us. The 15th corps was in the rear of us yesterday. I suppose they are going to flank the Rebs at Dalton, and if they should fall back from there, follow them to Atlanta. There must be over 100,000 men in our army here. There are 4 corps, the 15th, 14th, 4th and 20th. They say there is over 30,000 in the 20th corps so I think we are plenty strong to give the Rebs what they need. I havn't seen any papers since we left Stevenson, so I don't know anything about what is going on in Virginia, but I suppose that Grant is making a move about this time so as to make the Rebs look two ways at once. I suppose the newspapers will be rather scarce with us for some time so if anything should show up in the papers up home please send them to me. Most of the men have stood the march first rate, although some of them had to fall back to the ambulance train. As for myself I don't ask any odds of an ambulance, or any other man on the march. I generally make out to keep up with the crowd. Most of the new recruits stood the march very well. They thought that the first two days march was pretty hard, but they found out the same that the rest of us did. That a man can stand a great deal when he is obliged to do. It may seem rather strange, but the men who have to fall out on a march are the largest and the stoutest. Some of the youngest and smallest will carry as large a load, and out march men that are twice their size. We get our mail every day so you needn't stop writing because we are on the march. I will write again as soon as I get a chance. Oliver |
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