to examining Surgeon, to see if he thought he would do to go into the service.  He told him, to go then would be certain death and that with care his health would be such as to admit of his going before next winter or fall at the soonest, so he felt so anxious to be doing something that they gave him what he has.  He is a great deal more of a man than I thought when I used to see him a Campbellite preacher, and I think he is more of man than he was then; this cricis is bring men out, and developing master minds; O yes, I came near forgetting to tell you that I read him your last letter, written after the battle at Milliken's bend, he and Mr Robinson almost went into extacies over it, I very modestly remarked that you could express yourself in writing better than in conversation; Well said Roach, I always thought he talked like a man of good sense, but I am certainly surprised to hear such composition as that and Mr Robinson said that it sounded like a man of a fully matured mind, and that there was such a feeling of refinement pervading the whole of your writings; so he and Robinson beset me to let them have that letter to have published in the Register, at last I consented to copy off the part that I thought would be interesting to the public, you always write something in all your letters that I would think improper to let strangers see or hear, and that I dislike very much for even our own relatives to see, I presume they think it foolish; but I am glad that we both have those feelings of I don't know what to call it, but all persons of refined feelings can understand it.  Mr. Robinson and Roach both said it was too bad to keep such communications from the public, and that I was receiving a letter or two every week from which a paragraph or two could be taken
