Letter, Alex W. Feemster to Loulie Feemster; 1/12/1864

              Selma Ala. Jan. 12th 1864.
    Mrs. M. Lou Feemster;
                         My own dear one;
    I took the Mobile train about 10 oclock Saturday night and arrived in Mobile at 1 oclock Sunday evening. We went to a hotel and deposited our baggage and walked down to the river to learn for ourselves if there was a boat going to start up that evening. The cab-men and hotel clerk had told us that there would be no boat till Monday evening 4 oclock, but when we got to the river we found one just ready to start. They agreed to wait till we could get everything and get back to it, so we hurried to the hotel and back to the boat which was waiting for us, and in one minute after stepping on board, were steaming up the river. It was a slow boat and took about 50 hours to reach the place; but it was such pleasant traveling and good fare, that I did not regret the necessity that took us that route. We had only some 25 or 30 passengers, and they the most quiet, moral set of men I ever saw on a steamboat. We did not see much of interest along the river except a "coon," a half dozen squirrels, a