Dear Father And Mother

I will write you a few lines to let you know that I am well and I hope this will find you all the same. Wee left Huntsville on the 13.. and got to Noxville [sp. Knoxville] the ..14.. and marched up here. it has rained nearly every day. This is the 19.. I had to go on picket before I got my letter dun. I thought I would finish it now their was three recruits come to company H the other day one was Furd Vaneting and Andy Jackson

and Peter Johnson. I dont think I would have come to this regiment if I had bin in their place every one to their own notion it is likely they will never have to fight any they will be apt to be guards some whare after our time is out. I hope we will have no fighting to do. their has been more talk a bout our regiment gitting some good place but it has never got eny place yet and I dont think it will for a bout five months yet then they can go to the devel for all I care. Well you will git tired of reding this slang It is very warm here now

I dont think their will be any more very cold weather here this spring. As we left Huntsville the boys began shooting off guns they was about half of them drunk they made the negrows run like thunder John Sapington [i.e., Pvt. John Sapington, Company K, 84th Illinois Infantry] was sharp. A. V. Drummond [i.e., Pvt. Americus Drummond, Co. G, 84th Illinois Infantry] was so drunk that he could not stand up he went to sleep and did not waken up til we was most to Noxville. the 84.. is gitting to be a very hard regiment and the longer they stay in the servis the harder they git. the nuse is very good now I hope it will continue so til the rebs go up I think they will go up this spring

I think I have wrote all I can think of that is worth reding so I will quit write often to your hopeful in the army

H H Maley