This Civil War soldier letter was written by Harvey Grable written a week after the Battle of Shiloh in which he told his sister that despite popular belief, the Rebels "can fight just as well as we can." He also contended that the Rebels had bolstered their force at Shiloh by paying volunteers $60 to serve for eight days---just enough time to win the battle at Pittsburg Landing. Harvey served in Co. E, 29th Indiana, which was rushed to the battlefield in time for the second day's fight. Though unsigned, he has indicated his company/regiment and the handwriting matches other letters written by Harvey Grable during the war.

Transcription:
April the 15th, 1862
Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee
Dear Sister,
I take my pen in hand to inform you that I am well and I hope that these few lines will find you the same. I received your letter last Monday a week and I was very glad to hear from you. I would [have] answered your letter sooner but we started to march that day and we marched for seven days right along and the last day we was ordered on a forced march and we slung our knapsacks and they didn’t come off till yesterday. We marched 125 miles week before last. We marched all night on Sunday night and Monday, then went right in battle. We marched to Savannah to the Tennessee River and then came up the river on the steamboat ten miles and then went in the battlefield.
They fought all day a Sunday and a Monday we reinforced them and about four o’clock in the afternoon, we run them. A Sunday they made our men retreat for about one mile. They kept us on a stand Monday till about 4 o’clock and then we made them retreat for about 25 miles.
But people mainly tell me that the Rebels can’t fight. They can fight just as well as we can. It is an awful sight to go over the battle[field] right after a battle to see the dead men and wounded men. The battlefield is eight miles square and it would average a man for every 20 feet square. The reason the Rebels had so many men [is] they had eight-day soldiers for this battle. They give them 60 dollars for eight days. Old Beauregard told them that if they gained this battle, he would raise their wages to 15 dollars a month for if they didn’t gain this battle, they was done. They was twelve of our company wounded. I wasn’t hurt.
We drawed our pay yesterday. I drawed 52 dollars. I started home 40 dollars this morning with a man that is here to see the battleground. His name is Teynarden. He will take it as far as Indianapolis and then will send it by express to Logansport. Tell Daddy to go to town right away and get it. Look at the express office for it. Tell him to keep it until I come home if he ain’t got much use for it.
You wanted to know whether I had drawed my clothes. I can draw clothes when I want them. I hain’t got any more at present to write you. Write as soon as you get this.
From your [brother],— Harvey Grable
[to] Mary F.
[Civil War, Union, Confederate, Abraham Lincoln, Paper Ephemera]