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La Grange Tenn. Jan 17th 1863, Dear Sister, A great many circumstances have combined to keep me from writing for a long time but I improve the present opportunity of writing you a few lines. William and I are both well and neither of have been taken prisoner or hurt. About the first of December Gen. Grants Army moved southward from this place the Cav. taking the lead but I cannot enter into the details of the skirmishes and incidents that transpired on the way. We passed through Holly Springs, Oxford and other towns on to Coffeeville. After we passed Oxford we picked up a great many prisoners some fifteen hundred in number. On the third of Dec. our reg. and the 2nd Iowa had a skirmish with the rebels at Springdale. There was ten rebels wounded and two men of our reg. wounded. The next day Dec. 4th the 2nd Iowa and our reg had another little fight at Watervaley. Companies A, G and D were dismounted and put in the bush the remainder of the reg. and the 2nd Iowa remained mounted. The rebel cav. made a desperate attempt to check us and without halting charged upon us but they charged out again full as fast. They left nine dead on the ground and we took near one hundred prisoners. I don't know how many they had wounded. We had one man killed and sevral wounded. John Wine of our Company was wounded in the calf of the leg. That night we camped at Watervaley and it rained all night.