among us that it is pitiful to hear the talk, & ask such questions, about the locality of diferent places.  There are a great many that don't know which course any point is from from any given poin.  For my own part I feel perfectly at home on Geography, this is boasting a little, but I get time almost every day to consult maps & make the geography of the Mississippi valley & more particularly the S. part of it a study.  It is a verry great pleasure to me to know what course we are going when we start on a march.  Just now there has a girl came on board & stoped right before me with a basket of apples she is about 15 & very sharp the boys are trying to snatch them from her, she has eyes like a hawk & a tounge that goes at both ends.  she looks about as sausy as Virginia could if she was to practice a year or two.  I looked at her & thought what a pitty that her lot had not fallen in some other place, for if not already, how soon will she loose all self respect, & be a ruined girl.  There are a good many fine looking women here that offer every inducement to our soldiers to desert, they will give a suit of citizens clothes & fifty dollars in "greenbacks, & pass them beyond our line, some are thus led to desert, but there is not much disposition on the part of our soldier, to desert.  I must stop & get some dinner & if I get time I will write some more, if I should not I must say good bye my own dear wife.  I am O how anxious for this wicked rebellion to be put down so that I can again enjoy the sweet society of home good bye Dear Mary  Lyle
