No "81"  
Camp of 23d Iowa, Near Mobile June 13th 1865  
My Dear Wife:  You will see by the Caption of this that we are yet in our old Camp on the Bay.  We have had quite exciting times for a few days.  There have been vague orders with reference to mustering out troops & I suppose that there has been a large number mustered in the East but these orders don't seem to aply to us, but in our anxiety to enjoy the sweets of Citizenship we have been pressing matters.  The Muster Out Officers have been in Mobile for over a week & appeared to understand his buiness to be to muster out all whose time expires before the first of Oct. "immediately" but had not the Rolls to do it on.  Maj Houston & other persevering Officers procured paper & employed a foreman, & a printing press & went to work to asist Our Venerable U. S. - we got the Rolls ready & worked on them last night until far past midnight & to day when the Maj took them to the Mustering Officer he was coolly informed that "Our time was not out" & that we might see Galveston in a few days - we are ordered to have four days cooked rations on hand & be ready to embark at an hours notice.  Suspense & Vexation; I worked on Rolls last night until my hand is almost lame & my eyes became so weary that I could hardly see whether the pen was making marks or not & all to no purpose.  Why I almost seen myself taking a steamer for the north - too bad is'nt it?
