Camp near Corinth May 1st, 1862
Dear Mother & Sisters –
As there is a man going to start leave Corinth for Home I thought I would take the opportunity to write a few lines to the dear ones at home to let them know how & where I am but I will commence at the beginning so from the time I left you all in the St. Louis.
After bidding you all good bye up stairs I hurried down to the door where the carriage was waiting for me. I jumped in drove up to the St. Charles sent the boy up stairs for my basket of provisions which Sally had prepared for me after getting the basket I drove up to the depot where a train was preparing for deparature. after waiting there for some two hours without much excitement going on down came the Confederates in a body[?] with their tents and camp equippage ready for leaving the city. I was then told that none but the Confederates could leave the city as those carrs which made a great many passengers gets off though I did not move a peg but staid perfectly quiet up in one carr and was not discovered until it was too late to put me off. well after that I got along very well until we got to camp moore where the Confederates stopped and where I stopped for thirty six days hours during which time I lived with Mr. Jones (so I did not reduce my own small stock of provisions) I saw Brother ned several times though he was kepped busy, and the second day after arriving there we left Camp Moore
or rather I left it in the company of a band of Texans but now came my brothers when the Conductor came around for the fair I had none. He said I ought to have a pass as well as transportation. and as I had neither I did not know hardly what to do. I showed him my furlough which answered for my pass. but as for the fair, I had none. He said it was $4 ½ I had $9.00 in city shin plasters. and He would not take [crossed out word] it for He said it was not good So he had to go without my pay at all. When I got up to canter I had to wait there twenty four hours on account of there not being a train in at the time and while knocking around there I fell in with [illegible] Edwards who was on his way to the City. I told him how affairs were there and he concluded to stop at camp moore to see Mr. Hall before he trusted himself in the City. after parting with [illegible] I went with a young man in the Orleans Guard a very nice young fellow He was too. well we went up in the town and found it a delitefull place there was a large girl school up there and we happened up around the school as it was dismissed and you have no idea what a quantity of young ladies there were and very pretty they were too. and before I left the town I was the owner of a very handsome boquett, after leaving there we both experienced the same trouble with the conductor as I had on the former occasion but at length I arrived in camp. the sixth day after
leaving New Orleans.
So Now I am in the same place I was three weeks ago. (in my tent) it is now getting dark so I will close for the present and finish tomorrow morning.
I again pick up my pencil, and will now try to finish the letter that I commenced last evening, though I am not certain of its ever reaching you as Mr. Wiley is not certain that He will get off – our Regts. go out to work on the fortifications every day and you have no idea how strongly we are fortifying this place, we are expecting an attac every day as the enemy are now on this side of Monterey, distance some eight miles. The report of the Crescent Regiment having been taken prisoners is groundless. they did go out to Monterey but returned after staying a week to give room to another Regt. which was sent out to relieve them There are a great many sick in camp though a great many that are sick and do not turn out to drill as work would turn out to fight if nessesity required it. Louis Vincent is among the sickest portion of them He has gone to the hospital.
The fall of New Orleans has greatly dis-couraged the army especially those from Missouri, Arkansaw, Texas, Louisana, as these states are completely cut off from their soldiers as soon as the federals got possession of the Miss. River
I must now bid you all good bye so with much love to all I remain truly off Son & Brother
E.W. Mudge
Remember me kindly to the Miss Annie and the rest of the family and tell the former I will write the first opportunity I would write now but I have no paper and do not expect this letter ever to reach New Orleans
E.W. Mudge
