James was born in Tennessee in 1838. At the time of this writing he is a pvt. in the Confederate Infantry. This is actually a letter, addressed to James's mother and brother, describing the men in his Confederate Army Camp. The piece is not dated but, judging from known facts, an educated guess would set the date in October of 1861. That would be shortly after Jame finished his army training at Camp Trousdale and arrived at Bowling Green, KY, for his first assignment.

                
               Mother & brother I will say to you             
               I wrote one letter this is too             
               but I have nothing to tell             
               only I am sound and well             
               and we are in kentuckys rang            
               and camplife is uncommon strange            
               its mysteries I cannot explain            
               if I try it will be in vain            
               all its curiosities one cant know            
               unless to the camps they go             
               The sargent the roll will call            
               but some fellow dont answer at all             
               then or the following day             
               you will hear the sargent say            
               you must go and chop wood             
               you could answered if you would             
               the others to drill they go             
               some in high spirit some low             
               and on the next days details             
               for it scarcely ever fails             
               then some gets verry sad             
               others frets and gets mad             
               the cunning and the slick             
               declars they are sick             
               and they never fails             
               to miss all the details             
               then they are called to drill             
               they say they are sick still             
               such men as all of these            
               their commander wont please             
               some when detail is gave             
               do it cheerful and brave             
               then they go to drill             
               their place they wish to fill             
               with countenancees cheer and bright             
               because they are doing right             
               give them the praise of heaven             
               others about four out of seven             
               their commander they will pleas            
               because they go if they freeze             
               if soldiers do exactly right             
               it shows they came to fight             
               I will not write any more             
               on this subject here             
               when this you see             
               fail not to write to me             
               this piece has no title             
               but composed by J P Lytle 


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