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daily on our front, but seldom amounts to anything.

         A heavy skirmish took place last Friday about 2500 rebel cavalry making a dash upon our pickets and succeeding at first in driving them in.  The fight lasted a couple of hours in which the rebels got rather the worst.   We captured about 300 of them and killed a number of them while our loss I believe was 30 killed.  
      Since then all has been quiet.
    When I return home I can converse with any of you about southern people (black or white) and southern customs (raw or refined).   We have negroes (formerly slaves) employed as cooks clear from Alabama and hear around the camp fires continually such expressions as "toting" water

"a right smart" distance, and others