Transcribed by Ron Matteson

Dear Friend Mary,

I recieved your welcomed letter in due time, and was vary happy to hear from you again. where do you suppose I was when it came to me. well I will tell you. it was Oct 27th when we wer going around on the wright of the Rebs. I read it as we road along the rode.

Well we had quite a time that day I can tell you. we did not have as much fighting as we have had at some other times. the infantry had it prety hard on our (the Cav's) right. The Rebs wer allmost clean around us. our Reg't had two men killed, several wounded, and some missing. at night our squadron was on pickett. had several colisions with the enemy in the course of the night. it rained amost all day and night. our forces withdrew before day light. we wer all glad to get out of it as easy as we did. we went over the ground that Wilson was cut up so on last summer. saw the remains of our wounded that wer left in the Johneys hands and died and wer not burrid. It doesent seem possible that men can be so inhuman, does it.

As soon as we got back our Regt was sent out on picket. wer out 5 days. the bushwhackers took one and shot one out of Co. K while we wer out.

I am well except a little cold, which is nuthing here. I have been over to the 185th once sometime a go. I saw your brother Frank & Ren. they wer well then I think. It seemed amost like going home to see so many that I know of my old friends. I am going to try and get a pass to go and visit them again to morrow. I had a letter from Sister a few days since. said my folks wer not vary well. It is getting to be prety changable weather here now. snowed a few flakes the other day. we shall have to go into winter quarters before long. The boys are a having quite a political conversation without. I am hapy to say that there is but a few McClellan men in our Co. or in the army. I sent up a vote for Uncle Abe.

Mati, I suppose that if you go west that you will not quite forget me while in a southern land. but I am in hopes that I shall not be here by the time you start west.

I would like to be there and go to meeting with you. I would like to go to a good meeting once more and see how it would seem. it is so long since I have. we have them here but I do not attend vary often. our Chaplain is not liked vary well. think he drinks to much commissary stubtoe.

Mary as I can not be there to share any of your shop fun, I shall have to close, and go to bed and dream that I wer there haveing a gay old time.

Dear friend, though I am far a way
I often think of thee.
It cheers my heart to think that thou
Dost still remember me.

J. G. Matteson
P. S. Write as soon as convenient.

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