Transcribed and Contributed by Tom Busby
Great Great Grandson of V. W. Sargent, Company F.
Camp near Vicksburg March 7th, 1864
Dear parents
I now have an opertunity of sending a letter so will improve the time. It has ben a long time. I have wrote before but my last letter told you the reason. We have just got back from a long march. It has ben a little over a month a go that we left this place (three miles in the rear of Vicksburg) and in the time we have marched 400 miles aright into the hart of the enimes country. Our regt did not have much fighting although we was several times in sight of the rebs and whare the shells and balls flew pretty thick. We lost three men out of our company killed or taken prisners. I stood the march pretty well. I had the mumps on both sides pretty bad and marched night and day. They was swelled about a week and went down and I got over them all aright. We got back here night before last. There was two letters from you which informed me that you got the $20 I sent from Memphis and also that the twins and H Sargent had enlisted. We are going away from here tomorrow. Whare we are going I don't know whether we are going down or up the river.
If them boots aint dun in time for C Tailor to bring them don't send them untill you hear from me again for there is no noing where I will be.
I expect the boys are on the road long before this time. I hope they will not get to the regt untill we get through the spring campaign. We should take one more trip and go into summer quarters somewhere likely. I did not tell you whare our trip was. It was aright east from Vicksburg. We went to the Allabamma line to a place called Mereiden where several railroads come in . We tore up the railroads for 10 miles. Burnt all the cars and locomotives and come back. We scirmished all the way out and back. We expected to have a big fight at M but did not. I have no time nor news so will close.
Good By
V.W. Sargent
There is more writing under his signature but it is so faint I can't read it.TB