Camp of 23rd Iowa Kennerville, La Jan 21 /65
  My Dear Wife:  You will see from the heading of this that we are yet at Kennerville, but you cannot see the seas of mud through which we have to wade, I always felt sorry for my hogs when they had to be in such mud when it was out of my power to help them.  So now I am sorry for my men, but this is at best poor comfort to them.  You would be surprised to see men in such a plight to see them get up in the morning out of their "Little Dog" tents" damp & muddy - wading about in thin mud, cook ther morsal of bacon, boil coffee & at their "Hard tack & appear cheerful.  If you could have seen our camp yesterday & seen the men go into their little Kennels at night, you would have looked in the morning for many sick men, yet I believe that all my men were able this morning to be up to Roll Call at daybreak, yesterday morning I found one man numb & stiffened in his tent, so that two men had to carry him to the Hospital - I give you these little items, not by way of complaint, but that you may know something of the kind of life the soldier has to endure.  It is fortunately not often that we have it so mudy, but we are of necesity often exposed to very inclement weather.  I believe I have remarked before that those who have never been in the Army can not realize or apreciate the hardship that the soldiers has to endure.  But our Regt will only have to undergo these hardships & privations Eight months & from present indication we may be out sooner.  There appears to be quite a commotion in Jeffs dominions at present and I see that the Sen Blair & Frank Jun have gone to Washington on some kind of a mission.  There have also some three or four gone from the South.  Vice Pres Stephens; Orr of S.C., Leach of N.C., &c.  I think it is about time that negotiations of some kind were commenced.  I would rather see the Government  past operations 
This manner of folding you must take as one of me (illegible)
