Note: Spelling, grammar, and punctuation appear as in the original.
March the 25 1862
My Dear father I Take my pen in hand to let you know that I am well and hope that these few lines may find you well and harty. you can See the picture of Jeff Davis, if you cant see him, him self. there was a secess deserted up here[.] here we are expecting a battle and a [he] came here and gave him self up. he said that Jeff made a speech and he herd it. he Said, now boys, I want you to fight bravely, for if we get whipped here we are ruind for life. that was Jeff Davis speech. they are a getting a little down in the Mouth. The fighting is in every Direction at Island no. 10. they Say they have been a fighting for t[w]o days and a going at it this morning. there are troops for a bout 4 milds [miles] along the river here. we are at what they call butter nut landing in camp. our troops, this is that I Spoke of, one hundred and 60 thousand of our men. Eatables plenty, Such as it is. we killed an ox and it went like hot Soop [soup]. that is it did not Stand any chance a toll [at all]. I have Stood piquet Gard [picket guard] one night and that is all.
I have only got 3 letters from you yet and I are a lo[o]king every day for one to tell me whether you got my money or not. I Sent 25 dollars. I Suppose that our bord is gon up, no more talk of it any how. I think that one more month will deside the question. this is more like wrighting [writing]. to write with ink, though we cant very well cary it Some times with out Spilling it among my cloth[e]s. leutenant Skot [Lieutenant Scott] Said last night that they was a fighting up here where we had orders to go. I do not know why we are a laying here, if thout [?] it is becaus there are So many sick. there was forty boat loads of Soldiers went up the ten ase river [Tennessee River] to fight. they are a giving them hark....
My Dear brother i take my pen in hand to let you know that I am well at preasant, hope that these few lines may find you In the Same health. I want you to wright [write] to me as Son as posible and Send all the news and what you are a doing and how the wether is. it is very warm here and the peach trees are in blosom. tell me when the last day of your School is. If we all live to get to get together we will have a good talk about tenase [Tennessee] and what I have Se[e]n here. well I must bring my letter to a close So Good By.
from Andrew Altman to John Altman and Isaac Altman and S. and M. and S. Altman
