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Camp near Morton, Miss. July 23d 1863 Dear Lizzy,

In our [?] of the ? ?, & disturbance generally not answered a long letter you wrote a few weeks ago.  ? a letter written since later July 3, but which I gave? up towards the Big Black River

   from Vicksburg to
 to believe the place that

is with about 2 ? men to defeat an intrenched ? of not less than 78 - and by me alone ? ? ..regretable writing? country? with roads blockaded to attack our army in ? ? with the ? Black in ? but a short distance, & but a ? ? about 8 or 10 feet wide to cross the whole army on in the event of a repulse, and nothing ? to help, would have been a task ? other to ? to the entire [satisfaction?] of all parties. The day before the River was to have been crossed news came of the surrender of Vicksburg, & the army was forced to retreat, being in a position to be cut off, to Jackson which had a good [?] [?] [?] [?] [north?] of it [?] entrenchments [as?] fortifications. After shooting [?], & being shot at for several days the army withdrew to this point where it will [remain?] no one knows [how?] [long?] at present. The yankees are about to attack Mobile or did, & Rosecrans Spring advance into [G. a.?] Gen. Lee's march into Pennsylvania was most ridiculous & hurtful. It has shown our weakness was really the cause of losing Vicksburg for men were sent [in?], [who ought?]

to have been sent here at least 2 months ago. It was [an?] absurd & [after?] the campaign of [last fall?] in Maryland our [? ? ? ?]. I do not know if your Uncle Dick thought the invasion a good & proper [ruse?], but if he did he is as fit for a [L?] [Genl?] as is John Brown to run a [fan?] in this climate [&?] you will I hope take pains to let Cousin Lysinka & her friends, as well as the General himself know. If Charleston, Mobile, and Richmond should be taken, & our armies ? to retreat the persistant, ladies would ? be confined to ??? small ?? The people of this state who were