p.

amid so much excitement must
surely mean something, and I expect
it is no good, for we never knew any
good the democratic party has done yet, - these
are not only my feelings, but it is universal

Jan 26^th

I awoke this morning feeling like a
new man, for it was without a head ache,
and an appetite for some breakfast, - a condition
of things I have not known for three weeks
before, and I felt so much better after dinner
that I thought I would take a ride. I had my
horse saddled, but when I tried to mount, I found
out just how weak I was, it was no use
trying, I could not do it alone, but when
once mounted I rode off very comfortably &
went down to the city of Murfreesboro, - on the
road I passed a large pond and the frogs
by the thousands were pouring out their
music by the wholesale, which reminded me
of early may in Illinois, in fact everything
looks like Spring, the trees are full of birds
and in the morning they are very musical

Murfreesboro is an old, dried up town of
three or four thousand inhabitants, - The
citizens nearly all left with the army, and
the city is now one entire hospital, the
most of our wounded are there, and there
are between fifteen & twenty hundred [Secrph?]