Harrison Hamilton Tenn July 17 (63 [1]
Dear Wife I am once more blest with
time and oppertunity to right you a few
lines which will inform you that I
am well harty at this time and I truly
hope this will finde you enjoying the same
good blesing this will in form you that I
received a letter yeasterday evening from
you and was glad to here from you for I
had not got one in a bought two months
it was dated June 28 I have bin on the pad
for the last 14 or 15 days wee have bin march
ing wee have come back from wartrace to
this plase five miles from where wee
was last year when I was taken sick
when wee left Ware trace wee left in
the rain and went to bell buckle where [2]
thy was fighting it is not much worth
while for me to pretend right all a
bought it for the rest of the boys
has ritting severl times I was five
days and nits that my close was not dry
in [?] and and my blanket was wet
and it rained all most all of the time
and wee did not get much sleep when wee
got to tullahoma wee stoped and
rested and wee got to sleep wee stad
there two days and [nights?]
[page 2]
and we then started for chattanooga
I went and had when wee left tullahoma
to cook and they was a halling our knap
sacks and they throud them out and I
[lost?] mine there was severl of the
boys lost theirs I have no clos only
what I had on I had my coat with me
but I lost my best pants but one
consolation I did not have them to
cary there was severl of the boys
that all most give out some had to
be hald and some of them fell out
and come up in a day to the [camp?]
three compines of our regt that
was on picket that fought the yank
all most all day and we was a bout
one hunderd and fifty yds from [them?]
and the bulets whisled over [us?] thick
I heard the bulets whisle and the
boms bust and expected to be in it
ever minet and there was not one of
our men got hurt that non of our
regt Ledel got severl men kild the
day that wee got their but wee had
to leave their to keep from being cut
off I [stood?] the march first rate all
of the [??????] wee marched through
[page 3]
the mud in the night and it
from shoe quarter to half nee deep
in the night and wee waded creeks and
mud holes a wee come to them and it
never hurt me I never new what a
man could stand till I came here
when I got here I was just as good as
I was when I started or a little better
LW fagded a right smart but he come
through he has bin sorty puny since
wee got here but he has got a bout strate
a gain he is on guard to day he ses tell
you that he will right before long
that he wants to see you and he wan
ts you to right to him I got a letter
from your cusin Mandy Jane a week or
to a go and I ancerd it they was all
well then I am a going to rite to gran
pa to day you said in your letter that
you expected to go to your granma
she will be glad to see you I wish
that I was there to go with you but as
I am not you must go and do the best
you can I am in hops that wee will
live to see the time when [we?] can
spend the rest of our lives together
in peace
[page 4]
give your pap and mother the
love of a sun and tell them that
I am ancus to see them and I want
them to rite to me tell will he
must attend to my hogs and that
I want to see him tell him I say that
he was the best man when I was their
but I think that I could rather
git him now I way a bout a 158
lbs tell all of the children houdy
for me tell them that I want
to com and help them eat shuger
cain next fall J E bush ses that
he is a going to rite to your pap before
long the boys is all well and gitting
a long well they send their best respects
to you all give my best respects to
all enquiring friends my paper is so damp
that I dont no that you can read this I
will rite a gain dont wait for me to rite
for there is a many a letter that wee never
git rite ever chance you git for I hant got
a letter in two months before rite soon
and tell the rest to rite to me I [s?]till
remain your Husband truly and efectionately
til Deth Thomas T Bigbie
To his Wife Mary Jane Bigbie