New Orleans March 7th, 1863

Friend Silvanus

I now take my pen in hand to pen a few lines to let you know that I am well at presant and hope these few lines will find you all the same I have heard that you have been sick but the last time that I heard from you that you were getting better our Co went up the River the other day to take up some prisnors to Batton Rouge it is about one hundred and fifty miles from the City up there we took three hundred and thirty nine prisnors to exchange we started on Sunday noon and got there on Monday morning there was a boat about one mile above Batton Rouge with a flag of truce we got the prisnors of onto there boat and when we got ready to start they gave three Cheers for our Col Clark they was going to give three more for Maj Fry there was a wood