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In camp at Stewarts Creek — Febry. 25th 1864
Dear Mary

We did not get an opportunity to send letters at Lavergne to-day, so I have opened this to add a few lines. We have marched only 10 miles to-day & went into camp at 12 o clock. The men are in excellent spirits.

There is a Fort on the south side of the creek, & just outside of it, we have our Head Qurs.¹ The 129th are camped on the West of us. I have just come from the Company. All are well & in good spirits.

On the East side of us there was a year or two ago a very dense cedar thicket, which was cut down for to give range for the guns of the fort. There is about 10 acres of dead brush which the boys have set on fire to drive out the Rabbits. There are about 500 men around it, & they have caught more than 100. They are having a fine time, & you could hear them yell for miles when a Rabbit appears. The fire looks as if a city were in flame.

We will get mail to-morrow at Murfreesboro. We recd. orders by telegraph to-day to report to [General] Hooker, so we will not stop this side of Chattanooga.²

The Rabbit hunt is getting exciting. There must be over 1,000 men & officers out just now. The chaplain of the 79th Ohio is going to [the] train, so we may get some papers this evening. We are having beautiful weather.

I hope you are making yourself comfortable. Do not forget what I told you in a former letter. Make yourself happy. It is my earnest desire that you so dispose of your time & use all the money you need to secure your comfort & happiness. Give my love to all. Write often. May God bless & protect you. Accept love and a kiss.

Your Affect. Husband
J. F. Culver

1. An earthen fort had been thrown up by the Federals in the winter of 1862-63 to guard the vital railroad and highway bridges crossing Stewarts Creek. [↩]
2. General Hooker’s headquarters were in Lookout Valley, southwest of Chattanooga. [↩]