.NDUw.NTY4

by drift wood. Sun Set all the boats with the exception of the Gun boats in sight. The weather is warm, with the appearances of rain. Monday Morn day light all of our fleet are tied up at Friers Point Miss. twelve miles below Helena, on the oposite shore I can count twenty five more Transports. 8 O clock A. M. waiting for more boats to come up. The Soldiers have broken into several Stores in town, taken what they could get and burned the buildings. There is a man on board who belongs to an Indiana Regiment, he says that he lived in this town, when two union men were barreled up and rolled in the river, his friends heard that he was one of them. I saw the account book on one firm that was burnt out they sold every thing from pins and neadles to threshing machines, they had sold a large bill to Col. John Morgan. 10 O clock the whole fleet is again on the move, it is so many I can hardly realise that it is so near Christmas, prehaps should realise it better if we had that box. 12 O clock The weather is clear and warm. There is nothing of interest along the shore, it is all bottom land with but little marks