Note: Spelling, grammar, and punctuation appear as in the original.
October the 12th 1862
My dear father it is with great pleasure that I once more take my pen in hand to let you know that I am well at preasant and hoping that when these few lines comes to hand they may find you all enjoying the same health. father since I last wrote to you I have seen the elephant. for I have been in a fight at what they call Simsons ferry. I took it as cool as shooting squirls. I seen the rebels run and we yeld [yelled] and scart [scared] them very bad, there was not any of the old 68 got killed, but some got wounded. and you ought to seen the old 68 how saucy they marched there [their] prisoners in to bolivar [Bolivar, Tennessee]. it put me in the minde of brothers in Zion. keep your armor bright brothers in zion. make ready for to fight this night. I'm on my journey home a marching the secesh a long. for it was in the night that we marched the prisoners to bolivar.
we crosed over the bridge where many a grape shot mist [missed] us and as soon as we got a crost [across], we were orderd to lay down. we lay in the sand, shoe mouth deep to keep the enemys shot from hiting us. and was glad to get the chance to lay In the sand. and then we lay behind the artilery to suport it. and the balls would sing a past our heads and we could see the artilery a shooting at the rebels for life. and after the battle was over, the artilery boys said that they wished that our regt. could be behinde them every time to suport them, for we would not run.
So no more of that batle. to day Is a nice warm day. we was at grand Junction day fore yesturday and marched all day through the rain an[d] mud knee deep. and when we got back to bolivar I went right of and bought me a pare of boots and they cost me 5 dollars. but I dont be grudg my money. we will draw 4 months pay when we draw. So no more at preasant. So good by.
From Andrew Altman to John Altman
To Isaac if you had a ben at the battle ground to hunt it over while we were a fighting, you could a found lots of guns and revolvers and watches and ingen ruber [Indian rubber] blankets and coats and all most every thing. I got a Secesh blanket and got mine that I had lost and lost my coat to[o] in the fight. So Good by.
From Andrew Altman to Isaac Altman
