Transcribed and Contributed by Tom Busby
Great Great Grandson of V. W. Sargent, Company F.
No 11 Camp Clear Spring on the RR 17 miles from Jackson May 14, 1863
Dear Father, I received your letter No 7 dated May 7th and was glad to hear from you for I had not hearn from you since I was at Corinth. Your letter No 6 must be lost for I have not got it. There has ben a boat burnt between Memphis and Cairo laitly and it must have ben lost on that boat. If you get your likeness taken you had better get them all out into one case and wrap a piece of paper around it and put on 3 or 4 stamps. Put it in the post office and it will come through all aright I reckon. I have sent two minitures in No 10 and when we get back to Jackson I will get it taken again. I have not heard from that yet but I supose it is all aright. I don't expect it will be as long as it was before, before will get pay agane. We have ben here on the railroad a little more than a week and shal be here about three weeks more. Troops are not allowed to stay on the railroad more than a month at a time. We have a verry good place here. I will send a sketch of it that I took today. It will do for Herbert to look at. I and one of our boys went out a squrel hunting. I shot 5 times and killed 5 squrels and he shot twiste and did not kill anny thing. My old Endfield takes them in the head every time. Let me knoe whare the boys are and what they are a doing and tell that I stand guard here every other night. Gorilies are about and sometimes prowl around our camp and noises are herd every night. Several times they have caused me to rais the hammer of my old gun but they never show themselves. I can get a furlough for 30 days I expect if I want it but I shall have to pay my own fair which will be about $30 there and back but I don't care about it untill I can go for good but if you want me to come I will. I shall have to close for now for want of news. Wright as soon as you get this. If I want anny thing I will let you know.
Goodby from your son, V.W. Sargent Co. F 27th reg.