.ODIw.MTkyNg

Salem Tenn July 27th 1863

Dear Mother

My last letter which you have no doubt received before now, was written from Huntsville Ala_ and this one bearing the date from Salem, Tenn, [shows?] a retrograde movement We left Huntsville a week ago this morning, after [remaining?] there nearly a week. the object of our raid being [accomplished?] We went there I understand for to get Negroes, Horses and [mules?] and we brought back a larger [trove?] of them all mingled together, black men, women, and children, 6 or 7 hundred mules and a couple hundred horses