Letter - 17 Oct 1862

A copy of the original document is shown first, followed by a full transcription.  For purposes of authenticity, I have transcribed the information  exactly as it is written - with all punctuation, spelling, and sentence structure the way it appears in the original text.

Portland Ohio

Dear father and Mother. I sit myself down to write you a few lines. I will inform you that
I am well and truly hope these lines may find you well. I recieved your letter dated the 12 and was glad to hear from you once more and to hear you all was well. I will now try to give you a discription of our march and before wee was started wee was surrounded
on the 16 of Aug and got out on the 3 of Oct and inside of that time we seed a veary heard time.

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We had but very little to eate all that time you sed you heard that wee had to hold our armes in hand 20 hours in aday that is faltz, but wee had to be _______ day and knight
and wee wold shell them prety near every day. Well wee worked on that ___ untill the 17th of Sept and wee saw that wee cold not hold the place without anything to eat and so wee left and struck for the Ohio River and after along and tedius march wee struck it on the 3 of Oct the reble foled us prety near through but did not come up to us. They would run in before us and blockade the road

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but when wee wold come up and turn our canon to them and give them afew shell they
wold begin to get all in a hury. We could hear of them agoing to attack us at places but when wee would come up they would be gone and to some other place to attack us
but they never attact no place - the march was very heard on us an the acount of us haven nothing to eate only as wee would get it as wee came along and you can guess how we faired as wee came through but wee have plenty
now.

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I will inform you that John Nail was left at the gap and William Toon and Amos Wolden they was sick and I guess the rebles perrold them you said you heard that wee was
nearly naked that is about so but wee will get clothes as soon as wee can and wee will get new tent, and every thing new for wee had to leave everything and ____ of our canon and small armes that wee had there. We had to leave for wee coldn't bring them with us.
So I will close as I have wrote
all of the newes that I know
from Plesant Bowman