No "83"
  June 26th 65
  Camp of 23rd Iowa, Columbus Texas  
My Dear Wife:  Since writing at Galveston on the 22d we have moved far into the interior of Texas, & much as I regret my continued absence from home I am satisfied that we have made this last move, especially from Galveston.  This is decidedly the finest country I have seen in the south.  From the time we crossed Galveston Bay until we arrived here the country has presented one scene of native grandeur, extensive prairies with thousands of cattle grazing & many small herds of horses, mules & Jacks & many deer.  From what I have seen there is about the same proportion of timber to prairie as there is in Iowa.  We passed some fine improvements.  The prairies are quite level, & in fact the whole country is verry level (the part of it I have seen) about as level as Agency from "Hanners" north west.  We left Galveston Friday on board of the Steamer "Island Citty" & steamed across the gulf & up Buffalo Bayou, passed the old battlefield where the Texans under Gen Sam Houston defeated the Mexicans under Santa Ana in 1834.  We landed at Harrisburg - four miles from Houston, took the carrs at 9 A.M. Saturday & arrived at Alleyton about 4 P.M. & marched 4 miles to this place ferried over the Colorado River by dark, & went into camp, which was a pretty big days work.  Yesterday Morning we moved camp a few rods under the shade of a grove of Live Oak.
 The Scenes of yesterday have made an impression on my mind that will not soon be efaced.  The Negroes came into camp by hundreds & the happiest people I ever saw, they were well dressed, especially the women, most of them in white
