Camp Co. "K"
March 13th, 1863

Dear Charlie,
I received your very kind and welcome letter dated Jan. 20th a long time ago and I ought to have answered it right away, but I didn't. I think that you write a very good letter for a boy that never wrote any more than you have. You must write again to me and I will answer it sooner.

Your brother,
Tom

Camp of the 37th Ill. Vols.
10 Miles west of Rolla, Mo.
April 7th, 1863

Dear Mother,

This morning I received your kind and very welcome letter dated on the 29th of last month. I read it with a great deal of interest as I always do your letters.

We are camped now only 10 miles from Rolla. I do not know how long we will stay here, but long enough for you and Father to come out and see me. I think if you do come, bring Charlie along if you can conveniently. I should like to see him so much.

I have been looking to see Johnnie out here ever since I learned that he left home, but you say in your last letter that he has enlisted in Gen. McClellan's Body Guards. That will be a good place if he can get in. I would much rather though that he had come out here. If he goes as a captain's boy he will have an easy place, but right where he can learn plenty of badness.

Col. Black has just sent to Rolla for a box of goods that were sent through by him. I shall look for something in it, though I may be disappointed, but I hope not.

We are in a new camp and have plenty of work to do. I must bring my letter to a close. Much love to all. Come and see me if you can.

Your Affectionate Son,
T.R. Brown

Camp Totten, Mo.
April 15th, 1863

Dear Mother,

Jo Clapp starts for home in a few moments and I thought as I had a little time that I would drop you one or two lines only.

I am well and in good spirits and expect to get one of the next furloughs though I may not. Jo happened to be the lucky one this time but he won't be the next time.

I know a great many of the boys are sending money home. I have deposited $20.00 with Capt. Black which I can get when I want it.

Jo is ready to start and I must close. Much love to all.

Your Affect. son,
T. R. Brown

ALWAYS ON THE MOVE THEY WERE BACK INTO ST. LOUIS MAY 10; PILOT KNOB MAY 19; CAMP HERRON, MO. MAY 26th.

St. Louis, Mo., May 10th, 1863
Dear Mother,

Joe Clapp has just arrived in camp and was the bearer of a couple of letters for me, one from you and one from somebody else. I also received one from you and one from Father while on the march from Bloomfield to Cape Girardeau. All were read with a great deal of interest and pleasure. I am well and in as good spirits as ever.

We came here yesterday from the Cape on a boat. We had quite a march through the cypress swamps of Missouri.

John, I suppose, is at home by now. Joe says he met him at Springfield taking a straight shot for home. He left us at Bloomfield with $10.00 in his jacket and a pass from Col. Black. He, I think, is entirely cured of soldering for the present.

While at the Cape there was a letter to John from you and one from Charlie. I broke it open and read them.

Tomorrow there is to be a big celebration in honor of the capture of Camp Jackson two years ago today. We all have to attend and expect to have a good time.

I am on guard and must close. Much love to all.

Your affectionate son,
T.R. Brown

Pilot Knob, Mo.
May 19th, 1863

Dear Mother,

Mr. Lamm leaves for home in a very few moments so I will have no time to write much.

By Adjt. Bandy I received a letter from you, also one from sister Lu which I will answer as soon as possible. I also received a very nice calico shirt. It was the very thing I wanted and I like it very much. Give my warmest thanks to Sallie for her kindness in making it for me.

I am well. The rumor is we start for St. Louis in a few days.

With much love to all I remain your affect. son.
Tom

Ed Robinson's furlough is on the road. He will be home before long.

Camp Herron, Mo.
May 24th, 1863
Dear Sister Lu,

By Adjt. Bandy I received your kind and very welcome letter. It surprised me a little when I broke open the envelope and found the letter to be from you. Never the less, it was not the least bit unwelcome because I was not looking for it. On the other hand I believe that I enjoyed it more than if I had expected it.

I am in just as good health and in just as good spirits as I ever was in my life.

We are camped about a mile and a half west of Pilot Knob, the terminus of the Iron Mountain R.R. There is a good deal to see about here. I went up on Pilot Knob the other day and it well repaid me. While I was up there they made a blast in the iron ore and if it didn't scatter things then I don't know what would. The firm that owns Pilot Knob has been offered $3,000,000.00 for it and have refused to take it, so you see that it must be worth something.

I also went up about a mile on a mountain just back of our camp. They are not at work on it but I picked up several pieces of load stone, some of which I will send home by Ed. Robinson.

I am not staying in the company now. I have detailed up at regimental headquarters.

Do write and I will have a much more pleasant time. I do not know how long I will stay here. For several days though, I think, and may be longer.

It is getting dark and I must close. Kiss each of the children for me. My warmest love to Sallie and the rest of the family.

Write soon to your affectionate brother,
T.R. Brown
P.S. Maybe I will get to come home when Ed. Robinson & George English go, which will bring it close to the 4th of July.

Camp Illinois, Pilot Knob
May 25th, 1863

Dear Father,
I received your last letter a day or so after Adj. Bandy's arrival and was really very glad to hear from you. Ed Robinson started home this morning, but I was so busy writing that I could take no time to write any. I am detailed up at regimental headquarters to write. It is more pleasant than being down in the company from the fact that I don't have near as much to do.

By Ed Robinson I sent Dr. Winslow a piece of lode stone from the top of one of the Iron Mountains. I was on top of Pilot Knob seeing them get out iron ore. All that they are getting now goes directly to Pittsburg, Pa.

I wrote a letter to Lue yesterday. With much love to all, I remain your affectionate son.
T.R. Brown

P.S. I am really glad that you have purchased a nice monument for Willie's grave for he well deserves one.

Camp Herron, Pilot Knob
May 26th, 1863

Dear Mother,
I just received your letter of the 25th inst, and hasten to reply. Yesterday Ed Robinson started for home and is suppossed to be there by the time this reaches you. I started a letter to Father by this mornings mail. I also sent one to Lue yesterday morning.

We have signed the pay rolls and will get pay in a day or so, but we settle for one years clothing this pay and will draw but very little money. I draw $2.30. They charge us such an awful price for clothing. ($5.55 cents for a common jacket. $3.55 for a pair of pants and every thing else in proportion.) Some of the boys draw nothing at all this pay day and only $5.00 or $6.00 next.

I wish, Mother, that you would send me by Ed Robinson, my watch. I can sell it and so have enough to pay my debts. After this, as long as I have got any money I am agoing to buy my clothing as far from here as I can. It is much cheaper to find.

I am in good health and hope that you and the rest of the family are the same. My love to Sallie, Lue and all of the rest. Write soon to your Affect. Son.

T. R. Brown

P.S. What is the reason that Nettie Prince does not answer my letter?

Camp Illinois
Pilot Knov, Mo.
May 31st, 1863
Dear Father,

By yesterdays mail I received your kind letter of the 28th. It had gone down to Cairo before coming here. I was very glad to hear from you as I always am. I am well and in good spirits.

It has been raining here for the last two or three days but everything looks clean and pretty this morning.

Day before yesterday we were paid off and settled for one years clothing. My clothing account was $65.68 and was only allowed $42.00. So that the rest was taken out of my wages which only left me $2.30. Some of the boys had clothing amounting to $75.00 and some as high as $85.00. The highest in our company was $82.27.

I wish that you would send me by Ed Robinson my watch. With what I can get for that I can get along fairly well until next payday.

I wrote a good long letter to cousin Irene Throop yesterday.

I wish, Father, that you could come and see us down here. It is such a pretty place. You could enjoy yourself hugely. I think they are at work getting out iron ore all the time and sending it to Pittsburgh, Pa.

I am still writing up at the Colonel's tent. I have been pretty busy the last one or two days.

Much love to all, I remain,
Your affect. son,
Tom
P.S. Tell Lue to write and tell Charlie Vance to write to me.

Pilot Knob, Mo.
June 2nd, 1863

Dear Mother,

By todays mail I received your last letter and was glad to hear from you.

Tomorrow morning we start for parts unknown. Our Regt. and the 26th Ind. goes.

All's well. I am still at the Cols. Tell Nettie Prince to write. Love to all, in haste,

Your Affect. Son,
T.R. Brown

A RESPITE FROM THE MARCHING - THE COMPANY BOARDS THE STEAMER HANNIBAL 40 MILES BELOW NAPOLEAN, ARK. ON JUNE 10, 1863, AND TRAVELED CLOSE TO VICKSBURG. THEY MADE ENCAMPMENT IN THE REAR OF VICKSBURG, MISS. JUNE 13-20 AND TOOK A PROMINENT PART IN THE SIEGE. THEY MARCHED INTO THE CAPTURED CITY JULY 4, 1863. NEXT MOVE WAS TO YAZOO CITY AND CAPTURED IT JULY 13, THEN ON TO BLACK RIVER IN PURSUIT OF THE ENEMY.

On board Steamer Hannibal
About 40 miles below
Napolean, Ark.
June 10th, 1863

Dear Mother,

I wrote you a word or two a day or so ago and let you know where we were then. We are still going on down south. We will probably stop at Millikens Bend. Some say that we are going to run the blockade at *Vicksburg but I hardly believe it. One of the boats in our fleet sunk this morning. It is a nice sight to see the fleet going down river. There is a gun boat and five steamers ahead of us and some seven or eight behind us.

I went on shore at Memphis and went over a good portion of the city. I don't like it much. They charge awful high for everything, 20¢ a dish for ice cream. 10¢ for a glass of soda or lemonade and everything else in proportion. I got a dish of nice ripe blackberries.

I will write again soon. It has been more than two weeks since I have had a letter. Miss Prince has never answered that letter that I sent by you yet. Much love to all. Your Affect. Son,

T.R. Brown

P.S. I think that I will see Web in a few days.
Tom

* They actually did run the blockade.

In the rear of Vicksburg, Miss.
June 20th, 1863

Dear Mother,

This makes the fourth letter without receiving any one and we have received just four mails since we left Pilot Knob. Now every time a mail comes I look for two or three letters from home, but as yet none have come. I sometimes think that you don't care anything more about Tom.

Web came over and saw me the other day. He looks well and hearty. Their regiment is camped about eight miles from here. They are in Sherman's Army Corps which is on the extreme right. We are in Herrons on the left. I went back with him as far as the 11th Ind. and I staid there all night with Clay Smith and Phil Kirkpactrick. Clay came back with me in the morning and Phil came over yesterday.

Our Regt. went out this morning to support a battery and were under a pretty heavy artillery fire but no one happened to get hurt.

George English, Joe Clapp, Will Smith, Will Morgan, Ham Myers and all of the rest are all well.

Mother, please write to me often. A letter away down here does a soldier so much good. Much love to all.

Your Affect. Son,
T.R. Brown

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