Dear Wife,-

Get your map and see how far I am from home. As I wrote you I intended, I left Seminary Hospital, Georgetown, the next forenoon. I went to Washington and procured transportation on my order to join my Regiment. It did not mention in my order or transportation where I was to go or how long a time I could have on the way. I could have gone by the way of Salem, N. Y., if I had chosen. I had so recently been at home and was anxious to return to the Company so I thought it best to look them up. At the War Department I could get but little information. All that was known was that they had orders to report to the Army of the Cumberland that were in Tennessee. Perhaps I could hear of them at Nashville, Tenn.

At noon, having everything ready for a start, I got some dinner and shortly after boarded a train for Baltimore, Md. From here I went to Harrisburg, Pa. I did not see much of this place as it was in the evening when I got there. Here I had to wait some time for the train that was to take me to Pittsburg, Pa. The next morning we arrived at Altoona at the foot of the Allegheny Mountains where we stopped long enough for breakfast. After breakfast the train started again slowly winding up the mountain. I could see the road below us that looked like another road running parallel with the one we were passing over. I asked the brakeman what road that was. He laughed, saying it was the one we were on and had passed over, winding up the mountain. Here the scenery was beautiful. When near the top of the mountain we passed through a long tunnel and came out on the other side onto a level, fertile tract of country. Not far from the mouth of the tunnel there is a large summer boarding house. It was here Major Anderson came to regain his health after the enemy had taken Fort Sumter.

On we went passing the coal region where there were great cavities dug into the mountain. It looked as if the whole sides of the mountain might be coal. I reached Pittsburg about noon, got dinner here and looked about the city a while but saw nothing pleasing to the eye. There was smoke and coal and iron everywhere.

After dinner I crossed the Monongahela River and again took the cars for Crestline, Ohio, where I arrived about sundown. Here I went to a hotel and stayed over night and had a good supper, bed and breakfast. I felt very much refreshed in the morning.

About nine o'clock A. M. I started again for Indianapolis, Ind., where I arrived late in the afternoon. Here I had supper and late in the evening started again for Jeffersonville, where I arrived in the morning. Here I crossed the Ohio River on a ferry to Louisville, Ky., where I had breakfast and looked about the city a few hours. I found my way to the depot and there found a regiment of our Brigade boarding the cars. There was a coach for the officers and I went on with them. An officer of this regiment telegraphed to Cave City to have supper ready for us when we arrived there. We arrived there about five o'clock P. M.., but could get no supper.

Had not guerrillas infested that part of the country I should have stopped over night and visited the Mammoth Cave which was about six miles from Cave City. I did not care to fall into the hands of guerillas so I decided to go on with the regiment I was with.

We remained here about an hour. When about ready to start some men of the regiment got into a row in front of the only hotel in the place, which drew all the inmates out of the house to see what was going on. Not a mouthful of anything to eat could be bought at the hotel. The officers thought they would have to go hungry that night. The train started, the men all got on and we were on the road again. Soon after starting a soldier came into our car with a large dripping pan with thirty or forty pounds of roast beef well cooked; a bushel basket of fresh-baked biscuit and several loaves of bread came in following the beef. All in the car had a good supper that night. It was well for us that we did as we did not get anything to eat until we got to Nashville, Tenn. the next afternoon. Here we had a good meal and started again on the road for Bridgeport, Ala. We were on the road twenty-four hours, crossed the Cumberland Mountains, arriving at Stevenson, Ala., which is eleven miles from Bridgeport, about the middle of the afternoon, October 4, 1863. Here the regiment I was with went into Camp about a mile from the station. The 123rd Regiment has orders to return to this place and will be here in a day or two so I will join them when they come. I will not go on to Bridgeport unless the order is countermanded. I tent with an officer of the 145th Regiment and go to the hotel at the station for my meals. I have to pay one dollar a meal. A Villages here are very small. Half a dozen homes are called a village. The country is all broken up and is very poor. The inhabitants look as if they are half starved and are very poorly clothed. Their clothing is home-spun, home-wove and home made both for men and women. I do not believe that either have a change or a dress-up suit. I will write to you again soon. Remember me to friends.

With love to you and Ella,

R. Cruikshank.