Dear Father and Mother

I will write a few lines to let you know that I am in the land of the living and I hope this will find you all well. their is nothing new to write Their was some of the boys talking of going in to the gunboat servis they say their is a recruiting officer here but no one can find the office they offered $1600.. and 60.. days furlow for inlisting for five years. I dont think I will go 8. years is to long to stay in the army i would rather try it at home a while and see how I like it

their. This has been a nice town once it is not toar up as bad as some of the towns it is very near as big a place as Oquawka [i.e., Oquawka, Henderson County, Illinois]. they have a negro dance here nearly every night the whites have had three or for since I have been here. their is a negro band here they ar stringed instruments that they play on they make good music. I tryed to play a tune or two on a banjo yesterday for the first time since I have been in the servis. I couldent make it go much I have forgotten nearly every thing a bout it. I hadent tryed a fiddle since we left Blue Springs until the other day. Harv. Nevergall [i.e., Pvt. William H. Nevergall, Co, B, 59th Illinois Infantry] was here with his. Well this makes two letters

I have wrote since I have been here and I have not got one from any whare. I would like to git one before long as I will begin to think you are all dead or you dont want to write or some thing els is the matter. The talk is here that the 16.. Corps has gon to Shurman [sp. Sherman] and the 23.. has gon to Grant their is nothing here now but the 4.th Corps and the cavalry and they are going to make a big rade down through to Neworleans I guess they will clean old Hoods army out. Some of the boys from the 3.. division said last night that they had orders to march this morning I dont know whether they ar gone or not

some of them think we will git to stay here if the corps would all leave but the 1. division I would think we would stand a chance to git to stay I would like to stay here very well the rest of our time. we only have six months and a half to stay the first of September our time is up. Well you will git tired of reding this slang so I will quit. Write often to your hopeful

Henry H Maley

Wm. M Maley and
E A Maley