Year: 1863

valescents that we found there they showed
| themselves to be as gentlemanly, courteous
add accommodating set of fellows as one
need wish to find, and the few days that We
spent with them will ever be remembered as
one of the pleasant incidents of our expert
ence in soldering.


Time passed along. without anything ol
general interest occurring until the evening Of
the 10th, when the accommodating expedition
returned, and, so far as we could learn, with
out having found a y large body of rebels
We, of course, now had to vacate our com
Portable quarters to give possession to the
proper owners, and we returned to our old
we could under the circumstances.


The 35th bivouaced near US that night, and
a large portion of the 11th went over to have
a social chat with their friends in that regi.
ment. The boys were much fatiged with
their days march, but all appeared to be in
fine spirits and doing well generally.


Fred. Candee, Pink Sparks, Jesse Dill and
George Morgridge, all of Go. H, joined us that
day, having just returned from their visit ia
your city. They were all looking fat and
jolly, and We were glad to welcome them
back to the company.


The next day we received orders to prepare
to march Immediately, but after getting ev-
erything ready the order was countermanded,
and changed to 6 o'clock the next morning.
So at o'clock, on the morning of the 2lst,
we started on our return to Vicksburg. We
came through without travelling six miles out
of our way and arrived at our old camp at l
o'clock in the afternoon.


During our absence the I'd Brigade of our
Division, commanded by Gen. Ransom, and
the Sth and 10th regiments of Louisiana COL
ored troops, moved into town.


Since our return we have not had to do
picketing by the regiment, but the picket de-
tail is very heavy. And they are now build
ing new line of fortifcations around the
town, on which we have to labor, and the
detail for that is so very large that with our
time, only missing one day in four or five.


The Notifications they are now building
are the best that have ever seen, and when
completed they will be almost impregnable.--
think ten thousand men could hold them
against all rebeldom. But it is going to re-
qure considerable time and great deal of
hard labor to complete them.


As far as can see at present, there is no
prospect of our leaving this place. suppose
we will have to put in our time this winter
digging on these Notifications.


The weather has now become cool enough
to be comfortable in fact, We have day
occasionally that is rather too cool for comfort,
and the nights and mornings are all cold; but
most Of US have ire-piaces of some kind IN
our tents and manage to get along very well.


Our camp is in fiat valley, just wide
enough for the regiment to camp in, and sur
rounded on all sides by the hills for which
this region is noted, and which you have
heard described so often that will not repeat
It here. The valley is of considerable length
and receives the water from so many hillsides
and ravines that we entertain serious appre-
tensions of an overflow in case we should
have a hard, protracted rain. But hoping
that we shall not be placed in such an un-
pleasant predicament, close for the present.


PAUL JONES,


Co. q, 18th Iowa Vols.