CONFEDERATE MORALE WEAKENS IN LOUISIANA Good content Confederate soldier's letter, 2pp. 4to., "Camp near Monroe, La.", Jan. 14, 1864 in which Thomas Batesmore [?] writes his wife, in part: "...I got quite low spirited as most people do while sick in camp...General Poli[g]nac made a speech to us last week in which he said that Gen. Mantan [?] had ordered him not to grant any furloughs over here...We commenced fortifying here yesterday but I do not think it is the intention to build any extensive fortifications here but only to dig out a few rifle pits. The river is higher enough now for the gunboats to come up this far...I think that when we leave here we will certainly go to Shreveport...I was compelled to buy me a pair of boots the other day and had to pay one hundred and ten dollars for them. I drawed a pair of them from the government but they were made of raw hide and were no count. Everything is very high here and most persons say they had as soon give anything away as to sell it for confederate money. I have no confidence in the money myself...I believe they money will be repudiated...". Folds with some toning thereat, a clean, short split, else very good.