Dear Minerva

     Some 5 days have Elapsed since I have writen to you This was owing to the fact that our Reg was moving from Savannah to this place. At Periods like this I have no time for any thing Except official duties We left Savannah on the 24 inst and arived at Pitsburgh landing that Evening We removed our wagons and mules from the Boat after night that night and in doing so drowned 1 man and 3 mules. Early the next morning we took up the line of march for the place of our Encampment which we now ocupy We then began to Experience Soldiering in Earnest We had 16 wagons with from 4 to 6 mules to the wagon The mules not well brok The wagons heaviy loaded The teamsters but little skilled in driving and the roads indescribably bad added to all this it rained all day Under all the circumstances you will think as a mater of course if I had much to do I will be ready for my pallet again Well I had a great deal to do For myself and the wagonmaster were the only 2 that could manage to have teams got out of difficulties when they would stick which was Every few hundred yards I rode backward and forward the whole day from on team to another giving directions Some times having as many as 16 mules hitched on to 1 wagon By dint of getting large details of men and splicing on of teams we arived with the teams late in the Evening at our present camp I passed thoug it all with no worse conseqences than being very tired I put on my gum suit so that I didnot get wet and Mr Harris who is always thoughtfull for my well fare had me a well filled Haversack so that I sat on my horse

and mad my draws on my Havesack as often and as much as my apetite required The Haversack well fill is indispensible to the soldier
     I was pleased to find that we were not only Brigaded with the 25th Reg But that our Camp ground was laid off side by side with them They are now our nearest neighbors and I see the boys of my acquaintences who are in that Regiment every day And for fear I shall forget it Will Mason [i.e., 2nd Lt. William T. Mason, Co. E, 25th Indiana Infantry] and [illeg] Richardson are well
     When we came out we ocupied the advance position of our lines But our troop are constantly moving forward and I have no doubt but they will soon be in a position that the Enemy will Either have to fight or Evacuate corinth.
     It would be folly fore me to attempt to give you an adequate description of the battle field of Pitsburgh Landing [i.e., Shiloh] as it Even now presents its self It was near 3 weeks after the battle was fought before I saw it And as a matter of course the dead had all beend disposed of in some way many had been removed to their distant homes to be Entered beside their friends many had been collected together and buried with order and regularity making large Cemetrys But the great bulk I am of the opinion were buried on the ground where they fell At close intervals for some 2 miles in width you will meet with little mounds of freshly thrown up Earth beneath which rest the remains of some rebel soldier or some slain Horse or mule But if all these Evidences were removed no persons could pass over that battle field without being convinced that there had been on that ground one of the most fearful conflicts that the world has witnessed Portions of the field was an open woods and I doant know whether there is a single tree for considerable distances at a time without its having been perforated

with a ball from Each side and at times I think there are from 10 to 15 It does not look to me as if a man could have taken any position and have remained in that position and Escaped Then instances are quite frequent where Cannon balls canister and grap have struck trees tearing their way throug I observed one tree today some 18 inches through where a cannon ball had struck it near the ground and the ball had went right throug I have as yet saw but a small portion of the field I want if we do not move forward soon the 1st leisure I have to ride over and see other portions for it is said to have been some 5 miles in length
     I had a conversation today with Col Veatch [i.e., Col. James C. Veatch, 25th Indiana Infantry] about the battle and the releative strength of the 2 armies He is confident that they had fully 3 men to our 1 on sunday the 1st day of the fight He thinks we could not possibly have had more than 30,000 and offers such reasons for it as cannot be resisted while he is Equally clear that the enemy had 90,000 This being the fact and our army being taken wholely by suprise it ceases to be a wonder that our forces were beat back all day but it is a wonder that our little army wasent cut to pieces But when our forces were increased on Monday to some 60,000 30,000 to 60,000 we were Enabled to drive them from the field with Ease This was a battle faught on a field of their own choice on the 1st day they fought us with probably 3 men to our 1 and on the 2nd day after the best we could do they largely out numbered us and yet we drove them back This convinces me that in the coming conflict the rebels must suffer a terible defeat Our forces have been greatly strengthened since the batte All of General Buels army has got here and Gen Halleck [i.e., Maj. Gen. Henry W. Halleck] has greatly strengthened it by troop from Missouri and Island no 10 &

it is said that Gen Curtis [i.e., Maj. Gen. Samuel R. Curtis] will yet Join us with his forces But be that as it may I cannot doubut the success of the Government troops
     I am now in good health and gaining strength & weight very rapidly during my sickness I lost 20 Lbs in some 2 or 3 weeks but I will recover as much of it as I need very soon if I meet with no back set
     I have had no letter from home since the one you sent by Joseph Richardson This may be the falt of the mails But write often any how perhaps I will get them after awhile
     Doant forget the childrens schooling It is now late and I am sleepy and must retire to rest

Your affectionate husband
George Thomas