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Letters of Francis William Kimble
14th Iowa Infantry, Company 'B'
Presented by the Iowa Civil War Site
Letter number twenty-nine
Near Vicksburg, Miss March the 7th, 1864
Mother I am now seated to write you a few lines to inform you that I am well
at present. Well we are back to Vicksburg again. All right side up with care.
We have had a long and tedious march of it. We have been about 200 miles from
here. We left Vicksburg on the 3rd of Feb. and got back the 4th day of March.
We have been to Meridian, a small town on the Mobile and Ohio railroad.
Marion? is nearly across the state of Miss. The 6th day of Feb. we took and
passed through Jackson. The rebs made a stand there but our boys soon drove
them off and took one piece of artillery and 30 odd prisoners. The 9th of the
month we marched untill 12 o'clock at night. We made 27 miles that day. When
we stopped at camp the 14th would number about 100 men. The rest of them had
camped along the road but I kept up with the regt. The reason we marched so
late wast to get our train through some bad roads. The 10th we went through a
small town by the name of Hillsborough. The boys burned almost every house in
the town. The 12th we pushed through a town by the name of Decater. The rebs
fired into the train and killed 17 mules but done no other damage. I believe
the 14th went into Meridian without opposition for the rebs had got up and
dusted from there. I got your letter of the 2nd, day before yesterday
evening. I am sorrow that I didn't get an answer from your last letter for I
am anxious to hear from my mommy. I am glad that the box went through safe. I
did not pay the freight on the box. I suppose that we will be on the move day
after tomorrow as we are preparing this evening to leave. I guess we will go
up Red River, Arkansas. It is calculated that we will be back to Vicksburg in
one month. It is the supposition that when we get back from this trip we will
go to reinforce Grant at Chanengo,Tn. Mother I __? particularly but John has
gone home and he can tell you all. He started 3 or 4 days ago. I must close
for now. So good evening, Mother.
Sister I must drop you a few lines before I close. I have seen some of the
gayest southern gals since I have been on the march but they cannot come up
with our Iowa gals yet. Eliza you will find the names of those photographs on
the back side of the picture. All except my girl and her name is Miss Kirk.
If you take out the picture in back side of album you will find F.W. with his
whiskers on. As for the photo, by the side of the lady is me, but she isn't
my intended. The man with the hat is our bass drummer. So good day. Direct
vis Memphis, Tn. Yours as ever F. W. Kimble
Transcribed and submitted by great great niece
[https://iowa-counties.com/civilwar2/_private/ncrbox.htm]
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The Iowa Civil War Site