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15 jolly time of it music singing and shouting with very excess of happiness. In the morning we started again on our journey our road now lay on the Platt river bottoms clear to the Rocky Mountains it was a perfect level till about a mile and sometimes two or three miles from the rive then commenced the bluffs but they never came as close to the river as our road. We now came in sight of Fort Karney and could see the glorious old "Star spangled banner" floating proudly on the breeze. The Fort consists of about twenty houses occupied as barracks officers quarters and a Post Office enclosing a square about one acre with twelve six pounder guns mounted three on each side of the square what they were placed there for I could not imagine as they could not fire them off without knocking down the buildings. It is very curious why they selected such a position for a fort it has no natural advantages whatever there isnot any shlter from an enemy no elevation to the ground and it is a mile away from the river and they have not even got a mud enclosure around it and I should think in case of assault the insiders would have no advantage over the besiegers. We were not allowed to stop in the immediate neighborhood of the "Fort" the rules being strict that no one should camp within two miles. I staid behind to get letters I found some from home tho first I received since leaving we were as eager to get news from home as if we had been away years instead of only two weeks. I read my letters found all well at home and then went out to the square to see the drill there was two companys United States Regulars find appearing men but sadly deficient of clothing almost every man was out at the knees or elbows even the offices looked shabby I saw them trying to get gloves on which required a great deal of skill they were full of holes and the fingers would not go out in the right place. However, badly dressed they were they