I received a letter 2 days ago and I intended to answer it the next day but just before I got ready we had orders to strike tents amediately and get ready to march as soon as we could where we did not know but we head to this place which is about 34 miles we started about noon sunday and camped at night 13 miles from Sommerset [sp. Somerset] and we made the rest of the march yesterday over as hard road as we very often see we had to stop for the Cannon to get along we had to wait for them a long time we carried our napsacks all of the way and every thing that belongs to us I tell you that is what makes hard work for us poor soldiers

The report is that Old Johny Morgan [i.e., John Hunt Morgan] is in the state with five thousand men most all mounted at that and us intfantry have got to run them down horses and all we tired out one battery yesterday they landed one horse out side of the road to die and we had to halt for them to get out of they way of us and its 104th Regt was just behind us all of the way but along in the afternoon they began to fall back and we did not see them all of the afternoon when our Co stoped last night we had only 15 men the rest had all stoped back so you can see how hard it was on us it is not much fun to march when you have to get over the ground that I layed down last night with

out any supper and slept all night sound I was chafed so that I am all raw So you see that is not as comfortable as it might we have got on to the pike so we shall not be troubled with mud for a while I do not expect we shall stay here long we may go into camp here and we may not I do not know I rather think we shall stop here for a day or so

Well I must close good by write soon

H E Randall
To
Z H Randall