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From the 119th Regiment.
TOWN'S STATION, Tenn., Nov. 14, 1862.
FRIEND SNYDER: I write you again from this out-of-the-way place — way down in Tennessee — where Co's A and F of our regiment (the 119th) are rusticating under command of Capt. Hollan. Co's D, I and C, under command of Maj. Watson, are at Medon, half way between here and Jackson, where the remaining 5 companies of our regiment are located at present. We are guarding the railroad now, but shall exchange places next week with the companies at Jackson, so as to give all an opportunity to drill.
We get no news from below here, except that the army is moving slowly on, driving the rebels before them. Reinforcements are constantly pouring in, sometimes 3 or 4 regiments a day, and supplies of all kinds are regularly forwarded over the railroad from Jackson without let or hindrance from the secesh, who seem to have entirely ‘subsided’ in this part of the country. Our boys are just as much at home, and feel as safe as they did in Quincy.
We get a Chicago or St. Louis paper occasionally by paying a dime for it, but small change is about ‘played out,’ and five dollar bills are of no use to us here at all, so we do not indulge very frequently in such luxuries.
There is a great deal of cotton here. At almost every station there is an immense pile of cotton bales awaiting shipment, but it will have to wait until the rush of troops is over, for although there are immense trains of empty cars constantly running back toward Columbus, they have not time to stop and load on cotton.
I have just come in from a trip out into the country, about 7 miles. I saw several very poor farms, and two or three moderately good ‘for this country.’ I saw 20 negroes of "assorted sizes" at work in one field sowing wheat. The field had been in corn. They ran two furrows between each row, with single mule plows, sowed the wheat and ran two more furrows, sometimes knocking down the corn stalks — but not often — and then went on their way rejoicing. The soil when first turned up is of a light yellow color — which accounts for the light color of the slaves.
I am going to-morrow to visit the battle ground of Britton's Lane, 7 miles from here — hope to see a ghost or some other relic.
The news has just come that our forces are in full possession of Holly Springs, which is just as we expected. Perhaps now we can move forward. We are ready and anxious to try the ‘metal’ we are made of, and have no fears of the result.
The Quincy boys are all in good health and spirits, able to eat their rations, and an occasional ‘slow deer’ besides.
Yours respectfully,
H. R. H.