They may go on with impunity now while they are in the acendency, but if you could see the fire flash in the eyes of my sun burnt & hardened companions in arms, when this subject comes up, you would guess it meant something.  They say "never mind we will get back some time" & then to see, the clenched teeth, & hear the awful curses, O, if we only had them in front instead of in our rear where we cant get at them.  Well you can guess their doom.  After supper.  We had a fine Battallion drill this afternoon, the 21-22 & 23 Iowa & 1st Nebraska.  Our Col is at St Louis on his trial the Lieut Col & Major are both up with him, so Capt George acted as Col for the 23d.  Col Stone is commander of the Brigade.  We feel more at home with Iowa Regiments than with those of other states.  We are having a verry pleasant time of it here.  I guess we will soon forget our hardships during the past winter's campaign.  As yet I do not know where we will go to from here.  There is a rumor this afternoon that the rebels are evacuating Vicksburg.  If the report is true, I suppose they will be permited to go & fortify somewhere else.  Why not hold them in Vicksburg until they would be compelled to surrender unconditionally & thus take the whole nest, & thus kill rebellion in the west entirely.  It is well that men of my belief or rather my impetuous nature have not the controll of this matter.  I would run "the machine" in the ground or put it though
