Near VicksburgDear Father

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There is a mail going up the river today & I will abite a few lines to send by it. Col. Roberts came up the river from N. Orleans yesterday their boat was fired into at Grand Gulf (a town that was burned by this

expedition when we came up the river there are high bluffs about there & the rebels fire on unarmed boat from Field Artillery five shots hit the boat. one went through two state rooms & spent its force in the pantry no one was seriously injured. one man was slightly wounded in the head, our men replied with small arms but the distance was so great that they could do no harm. I seem to me an outrageous mistake that our

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forces should down the town I leave no force behind to keep the rebels from erecting their batteries to fire on our boats as they come up the river

The Matters are progressing slowly here the Mortar boats throw in a shell occasionally

There is a prospect that our regt. will be ordered back to B. Rouge soon. I hope to get out of this Depart. soon

Much love to all
In haste Your Aff SonW C Holbrook