Helena Arks July the 23e.. 1863
Miss Han.. M. Cone

Dear Friend

I will Inform you with Pleasure that I am well at the Present & I Hope that when this Reaches you that it may find you well I Recd.. your letter of the 27th.. inst on the Morn of the 21st.. that you Sent By Dr Ivens we was Starting out on 2 days Scout & I Recd.. the letter after I Had Started I was Glad to Hear from you again I will tell you that we was out 18 Miles in the Country & found Plenty of Apples & Peaches & Berrys
We See no Armed Rebs we Had a General good time we got Back yesterday Evening without losseing a man I Recd.. the Pictures that you & Manda Sent me & I was Glad to See the Second choice. again I think the Pictures verry Good ones & I als Recd.. the Butter & Berries that Mother Sent Me.. Wm.. P. is well He is gone after His Cans that you sent to Him By Dr Ivens
the Boys are Generaly well that is what is left of Co. A. I am Sorrow to Inform you that Will Holmes Died on the 15th.. inst it looks as If our Co. will Soon all Be gone But I Hope not I am Sorrow to Inform you that we Recd.. the News Here a few days ago that Oliver Boardman was Killed in the late Fight with Johnston in the Rear of Vicksburg & Several more of that Co. Wounded
I will tell you that Since I wrote to you last I Have Returned to Co A My Reasons was this I did not wish to Be Sworn in to the Service for five years & then I was Sick all the time that I was with the Darkies or Pretty near & Being of the Opinion that the war would End in 12 or 15 months I thought Best in Doing as I have Done..

You Spoke of your Sabbath School & off Haveing Good times in General I would love to Be at Home & Share the Pleasures & Libertys of Home But as it is I will content my Self & Hope for Better times in the Future

I am verry much Over Joyed Over our late Victories at Vicksburg Helena & Port Hudson & other Places I suppose that you Have Heard the Particulars of our Fight at Helena While you all was Haveing Such good times up at Albia on the 4th.. we was Shooting Rebels & the Bullets Came whistling around our Heads thick as Hail But By the Good will of Providence we Repulsed the Rebels with Great Slaughter I was over apart of the Battle ground the next morn & See the Dead Rebels Scatterd over the ground
at one Place where the Rebs charged & took one of our Batterys I Stood & counted 35 dead Rebs in about 15 Paces of ground Square our lose in Killed wounded & Prisners was less than 200 & the Rebels loss was Over 2500. We gave them one of the most Signal Trashings that they Ever got from the Yankees

Well Han. I Beleive that I Have writen all for the Present

Please write Soon & write all News & Particulars give my love to all & Reserve a Share for your Self
Direct Co. A

In Friend ship love & Truth
I am as Ever
Respectfully yours
Newton Scott

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