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while at Huntsville, the news reached us of the capture of Port Hudson and we fired a salute of 13 guns at the public square, [illegible] really astonishing the citizens who are all secesh The day we left Huntsville I received fathers letter dated June 30th and on the evening of the 23rd of July, I received yours dated the 20th, only 3 days coming from Chicago _ to Salem, Tenn. and last night (the 26th I got a Chicago Tribune of the 24th. I was sorry to hear of fathers severe illness and am glad that he is recovering so rapidly. I heard that [Isaac?] was sick in a letter from Sarah of July 2nd.