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if I owned all the land we marched over I would pay a man to take it off of my hands, for a meaner dirty rockie country never was. The many ducks and geece turkeyes chinken & sheep suppered is a caution we had 14 geece one turkey when we came in camp last night. If the solders sent a flock they would all rush after them and kill the last one why they would even kill the chickens or sheep if they were in the [illegible] house, but we never took anything that belong to the comon pepole. They may call soldiering an easy life but I dont think so. It is well enough in camp but when it comes to marching 20 miles over roads that we came is enough to kill any one. I presume we will again march to morrow for Lexington but they say the road is very good. I for my part stand [illegible] better than the most of them. Sister just think a man carring 40 rounds which weighe 8 pounds on his [illegible] a belt with a bayonet a harve Sack with rations, a canteen full of water that is when we could get any which was seldom the worst of the time we drank mud, and a knapsack straped up on his back. Travling on the bluffs of Alton why that would be easy to the hills we came over. I think I shall be very easy pleased with grubs if I ever get home I have drank water at a pond when the boys washed their feet and the muels drank and was glad to do so, and have eat more