.NTIw.ODQ5

it makes my blood boil to hear any of the Southern Chivalry talk. The papers are being made out for exchange of the bigest part of the men here: there are some here who would sooner be held prisoner than to be exchanged and go into a land of starvation, nearly one half of them would take the Oath of Alliegance but that will not be administered to them unless they will join our Army. There was a time when I thought that they ought to be allowed to take the oath and set at liberty, but now my mind is changed, let them either fight for or against his Country, they had better be fighting against us: than to be among us and laying plots to destroy the Government. Your letter of March 21sth with Katies Photograph enclosed was received last night it was handed me by one of the boys after I had gone to bed, you asked for my opinion of the picture before reading the letter, that I can not give you, for I had read the letter to when you said you had sent the picture before I knew it was there. I hardly know what to say about it, if it is good picture she must be greatly changed since I left home, when I first saw it I could see nothing as I had her pictured in my memory but the more I look (and I have been looking at it nearly all day) the better