My Dear Brother,

I believe I have not answered your last letter received about the 20th of July but I reckon I write more letters to you than I get answered to. What do you think about it. I make my calculations to write half of my letters to Mother and divide the other half between yourself and Philander and send the rest to other folks. I expected certainly to get a letter this morning when the cars came in but was disappointed. The last letter I got came through in five days but my letters all seem to be much longer going home.

You cant think how much I enjoy my good health after being so unwell all summer. I don’t know but I shall get to be a pretty tough soldier by the time my three years are out, if I have to stay so long.

I have been enjoying the contents of my box for several days. Those dried pears you sent were capital. We have our camp rigged up in tip-top style. It is on quite a high hill with a fine view, and half a mile from the river. We have brush covering over all our tents. It has been quite a job, but we don’t know when we shall have to leave. We fixed our camp at Cowan the same way and had to leave the day after it was finished. We are again under marching orders, the orders are for the team to be loaded and the men equipped as lightly as possible, all extra baggage to be sent back to Stevenson (about ten miles) and for each man to carry an extra pair of new shoes. We have not much idea where we are going or when. Perhaps to Mobile and perhaps to Richmond. I shall be glad when the order comes for starting for if we have to [be in] camp a great while I fear I shall get sick again.

Night before last we were waked about midnight by the booming of cannon and jumping out of bed to see what was up, found that the rebs had fired the R.R. bridge connecting the island with the opposite shore of the river. It made a great light and our batteries on this side were sending the shells over there for certain. They fired 15 or 20 but got no reply. We have been expecting this ever since we have been here. The rebs have left of course, though I have heard nothing much from the other side since except that one of the scamps was killed.

The bridge was a very large and valuable swing bridge and made a great noise as span after span fell into the river below.

A few shots were exchanged on the picket line the evening before.

Capt. Crowell heard of the death of his boy a day or two since, and seems very much affected. No doubt he wishes to be at home. He is a first rate captain and we like him better every day. We are very fortunate in having so good officer’s, we all like Loose very much and make lots of fun of him for putting on so much style. He has got about as much vanity as anybody I know of and act[s] ridiculous some time[s]. Quite a number of our boys have come up lately from Louisville, we number 33. Please write soon and often. Love to Carrie and the children. Direct to this place.

Yours, Chauncy H. Peck

I send a copy of my diary up to this time which I want you or Phi to keep for me as I wish to preserve and my book is about worn out CHP

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