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Camp Douglas, Chicago, IL
May the 11th 1865
Dear father & mother,
I Avail myself of the present opportunity of writing you a few lines to inform you of the present state of our helth as for myself I am in tolible good health except a sornes in my side. David is about the same I think he will get his discharge in a few days the talk is that our Rigment will go to St. Louis in a few days to be mustered out some ses in side of five days we will start and I sorter think so myself as the order is to muster out all of the one year men amediatly and if that be the case I guess I won’t come home on furlow[sic] for it would only be spending money for nothing altho I would like to see you all very much and spend a few days with you and get something fit to eat as our grub is very pore which we have here

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I will try and give you a detale of the grub on which we live here in a plentiful cuntry where the pore soldier ought to have plenty for I bleve they see the hardest time of any body Well now I will proseed to give you the history of our living. First meat is very pore and looks as tho the brute had been faten on brouse.* I think that a good desent dog would hate his master if he was to give it to him to eat. 2 Bred which is so sour it wouldn’t make good swill for hogs for I don’t think it would be helthey for them to eat it and I think it would be kinder doutful whether they wuld eat it dry so or not. 3 Coffee it is very pore made in old camp cittles [kettles] a nigro that wouldent grumble at it, I wouldent consider him a desent one some times we have a little sugar and some times none we have to drink the black stuff clere so and the man that wouldent grumble at this wouldent grumble to be hung.

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and the way they treat us in rigard to our liberty is ruff they keep us pened up here like so many shep they never let us out except a halter round our necks in the shape of a [pace?] which extends from 9 until 4 onley and we have to drill 4 hours each day and on gard as oftain as ever third day and then if we do aney thing out of the way they slap us in the gard house the dam old lousy sell and keep us till the gray backs git on us so thick that if we ly down on one side they will role us over on the other and have the sport at it and very often have bitallion drill on the brod of our backs Well as I have give you a small history of our life I will bring my letter to a close by saying I hope when these few lines to hand that it may find you all well I think we will be at home soon thank the lord and you must take good cere of the children until I return so no more at present but remain your affectionate son until deth.
to Father and Mother} Ransom Basford

*brouse = browse: leaves, twigs, and young shoots of trees or shrubs, which animals feed on