Lexington October 29th 1862

Dear father I take up my pen to Write a few lines to you hoping They will find you well as they leave Me at present for I have just swallowed Two cups of coffee & two crackers and And a big peice of pork to digest. I was put in the rear guard yester Day and a bonny time i had for For we marched twenty miles from Paris to lexington and we had to pick Up all the stragglers so i guess i traveled Thirty miles for we have fresh beef And I tell you it was a joke. I would like to know what kind Of weather you have in wisconsin For in the 26th we had about Three inches of snow in kentucky. And mighty cold at that i guess. We shall get seasoned be the time We get through we are just getting Into the flavor of the state and And a nice part it is corn in Abundance hep and seet potatoes Seems to be the princaple run here But their is one thing that looks Rather queer to me that is you Go into a house you see about A dozen negroes round one table In the kitchen and the white folks In the parlor but they seem to Live well and they seem content. Tell Arnold i should like to know If he has got that small tree Sawed in two yet that we left Last winter on marsdens peice. Give him my best respect and Hannah and all bartins folks. Tell henry that if i live to Come back i going to fetch him And me a [*?*] wench a peice. We received Margrets letter to day And we a sorry to hear that She is sick but tell her not To get discouraged for i guess Tom will get better soon give My best respect to john & hannah And harriet & John Slater tell Them i will write to them as Soon as i can tell tom i should Like to know how he gets along With is thrashing and i like to how crops turns out this year i shall write Now as fast as i can get time Father i hope your crops turns out Good so that you will be able to Take your comfort in your Old age i should like to know If Willy as got home yet tell Him i guess i shall not have Time to go up their this fall to fetch him down i guess he'll Find the way home Tell John Slater he will have to Excuse me going up their to Mineral dig this winter but if i Have good luck we will try it Next winter we will try to get rich in 1863 insted of 1862 We have not had a squat With the rebels yet for they Can out run us like smoke But i think its likely we shal Stand a chance before the Broil is over but i dont think It will be in kentucky for They we out number them To much some says were going to tenesee some To louisville and some to georgestown but i they dont know but theirs one thing sertain were going Some where

Excuse my poor Blunders For its the first letter I ever wrote I will try To do better next time

Alexander Slagg