[CIVIL WAR]. Soldier's letter describing Confederate ironclad Louisville Cairo, IL, 28 Nov. 1862.

ironclad confederate louisville writes balls letter weighing describing cairo carring infantry seeing iowa good thompson guns condition 35th vessle cannon shot location large write captured gatling illinois parret written rear brass 9800 experience exploring boat just shoot later soldier's 1862 painted mustered regiment months featured november muscatine politely battle sic]we passed indentations service minute current reporting company years june 1865 time enlisted august nearly participate envelope addressed gunboats lies channel river boarded louisvill officer command gentlemanly answered questions donolson bailors took mans ball struck iron railing killing lots return transport drawn horses wheels worked copious rats dealing union army siege vicksburg battles jackson pleasant hill mansura bayou glaize lake chicot tupelo nashville private bifolium creased used miss went told crank discusses 1160 month samuel pages folds postally ruth hollister baird work turned notably killed civil