Camp Vandorn Near Knoxville
May 12th 1862
Dear Companion It is with pleasure that imbrace the present
opertunity of writing to inform you that I am well at present hopen
these Lines will find you all well I hant any thing strange to write
at this time J. C. Bell has got here with 9 Recruts he got here
at 11 oclock to day F M Crumly is with him and is well Jeptha Ledford
and Fayett Ledford and all the Rest of the Boys is well I wrote
a Long Letter to you day Before yesterday But as they had come I
thought I would write a gain But my hands swets so I cant tuch my
paper without weting it our Rigment has been gon 13 days and our
Captain has just come in But I hant herd the news yet I can say
that I have got one more letter from you Mr. Bell Brung me one to
Day which makes three that I have got from you since I Left home
I was verry glad to get it and was glad to hear that you was all
well I am sorrow that Marion had to come and Leave you and Emily
By yourselves But I hope you will get a long well I want you and
Emily to get a Long smouth and Dont Let the Children fus with Each
other Marion has been so Bisy that I havet had time to talk with
him any yet I was Bisy a cooking when they come and they was most
perrisht for they had not Eat any thing to Day untell Dinner and
Marion has Been Bisy writing Ever Since for the Boys I herd from
Louisa and Green three or four Days ago and they was all well I
herd from James B. Crumly Last Week and they was all well and I
am a fatning verry fast ever since I got over the measels I got
a letter from William B. Shelton to Day and he wants to By my Shovel
and wanted me to write to you a Bout it But I think that you had
Best Keep it as Shovels will Be hard to get he wrote that he would
give me one dollar and a half for it But it will Be worth more then
that to you to haul manure in your garding and as for Lending it
to him I think it would Be too far off when you would want it So
I think the Bist plan would be for you to Keep it Dry so the handle
wont Rot only when you want to use it Marion says that he has wrote
five Letters for you to me and I have got three of them I understand
that Captian Moore has come back for the Rest of us so I Expect
to Start to the Big Creek Gap in the morning and all the Rest of
the Boys that has come with Bell and all that is able to go I understand
that they Expect a battle there Constant But the Yankees pusht off
over the mountian when our men went there and I think they will
stay on that side Direct to Knoxville Tennessee in care of Captian
Moore 52nd Rigment Geo Vol So no more Remains you true Husband untill
Deathe Write Evry week with out fail
L. F. Crumly
Crumley family papers transcribed and contributed
by
Christine Crumley Brown