Letter from E.W. Mudge to his mother, brothers, and sisters, March 31st, 1862

Camp Bosworth  March 31^st 1862

Dear Mother Brothers Sisters and all.

            I now sit down to write a letter for all hands though not with the expectation of its ever reaching its destination for I have now written about ten letters and have not received an answer yet. I received three letters at Grand Junction and for more just as I arrive in Corinth. I cannot think the mail goes very straight or I know I would receive a letter about three times every week from either the folks at the St. Louis Hotel or from some of those at the St. Charles if you only knew what pleasure it gives one to hear from Home I know I would have oftener from them. As for now we are regularly supplied with newspapers only one day from print both New Orleans and Memphis. What news you have one day we have the next so you see we are all posted as to the

news going. I am getting pretty well have not had a chill for some time. hope I am perfectly well and will not have another while here. guess I will not. I am now getting along first rately in the line of [illegible] tent which number five boys have become acquaint-ted with an old lady in town and now the blockade regularly every day and there get one good meal every day I rather think that is what has got me well so quickly now last Sunday I with the rest of the [illegible] can and got a splendid dinner. the bill o fair ran  as follows firstly we had a fine chicken stew with potatoes. then we had a splendid rost pig with a fine cold ham to go as a side dish and to wash all this down with we had plenty of real coffee and some first rate home meade beer. we then returned back to camp and trulled Around there like a lot of fighting cocks. the other boys found it out and want to

know where it is that we get our dinners but they cannot curse[?] it for if we tell them they will all commence going there and some of them will get caught by some of the officers and then they will show where the place is and will catch us to. there is a good joke. Terence McConnell and myself have on our first Leutt which is this, this morning He the Leutt. Terrence & myself went to town. (this time with permission) and while we were there He asked us where we got our dinners when we went to town he said he knew perfectly well that we came to town every day and got our meals. well we told him the place was and that if he would go down to the Hotel we would go around and tell the old Lady that we were coming to dine with her but in relity we wanted to go there and warn any of the boys that might be there that the Leutt. was coming and that they better get out of the way if they did not

Want to get caught by him (the Leuts.)

Aprl 1^st, 1862

            I will not finish the letter I commenced yesterday morning it is now half past eight in the evening and we will likely move before morning though not far not more than ten or fifteen miles at the out side it is to mute? The Enemy which I hope we will succeed in doing we have tried to meet them three times and have failed every time and I am have now despaired of meeting them at all. I must now close this uninteresting letter to a close so with much love to all I remain your off Son and Brother

            Elliott W. Mudge

P.S.

Please send me done up in the shape of of a newspaper some writing papers. I have just recd one letter from Mother and from sally