p.

4
I will write hereafter
on occasions of this kind the Head quarters
team always accompanies the command
by which the Colonel always has his cooks
and tent with him and to day [crossed out] the [end crossed out] he has
kindly taken me under his wing, to eat
at his table and sleep in his tent and
to night we retire with orders to be up in
line before day break, to prevent any surprise
as this is an advanced and exposed
position and draws frequent skirmishes
and attacks from the enemy, and when
our regiment was here before they were
surprised in the morning by a line of battle
of cavalry in their rear, that they saw fit to
leave after firing one round

April 1st
The Colonel had his command up in
line before day break and I had my
command of three six mules teames up
and harnassed ready for any emergency
but day dawned and the sun crawled up
through the trees in the timbers in which
we are camped, clear and warm and no
enemy appeared to disturb us - It is now
9 o clock A.M. of April fool day and my
mind naturaly wanders back to my boyhood
days when the arrival of this period of the
year was an event of great importance
and I recall many little scenes where all
our strategy and subterfuge were brought
into requisition to expect an april fool of
a brother, and notwithstanding we were ever
on the alert of the many times we were
victimized with the rest - but those days & the
present afford a strong contrast