Letter from Linus Patrick to John B. Patrick

New Haven Kentucky
January 9th 1863

My Dear Father

We arrived at this place to day & were very agreeably surprised to find our old friend Josh Gregg here waiting for us with a great big box full of nice things from home. We feel happy indeed to think that while we are enduring the hard-ships of a soldiers life for the sake of preserving the best of countries, we are not forgotten by our kind friends at home who are preserving the peaceful avocations of civil life - the things were messed up some as they had to be examined & replaced at Louisville, but they came through as well as could be expected; nothing was seriously damaged. Joe Moore found a can peaches spilled in his boots & a few other trifling accidents occured. I believe was all the damage the things sustained. My boots fit very well & are very good ones for the kind, but I would have been much more pleased if I could have gotten a pair of Bob Moores like make Joes & Jacks, but I am willing to put up with these for the present & will have Bob to make me a pair this winter for the muddy spring weather we have had had quite a chase after old John Morgan within the last ten days, but it is unnecessary for me to give you the full details of the matter as Josh will give you all the particulars as we give them to him, suffice to say that the thing was not properly managed or we could have either captured old Morgan or hurt him pretty badly. Colonel Haskins of the 12th Kentucky had command of the forces If Col Reid could have had his way I think the thing could have terminated differently - this is the first flight we have had tents to sleep in since the 31st of December & since that time we have marched 100 miles & it has rained two or three days & nights. During our march from Campbellsville to this place we come through some of the most God forsaken Country I ever saw, but this is a very nice place surrounded by a very nice country. How long we will stay here I do not know, but I think we will go south before long probably to Memphis or Nashville Tennessee - The boys are all very thankful to their friends at home for the things sent them & also to Josh for being so kind as to bring them down. We all return our sincere thanks to Granny Slater, Aron Grabiel George & others for donating so liberally toward sending our things - I rec'd Mothers & Lucys letter, give my respects and love to the family - I believe I have nothing more to write this time so I will close hoping to hear from you soon

Believe me to be as ever your affectionate Son
Linus

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