Camp Near Tunilhill
Dec 7 ( 63
Dear Wife I this morning take the
oppertunity of riteing you a few lines
which will inform you that I am well
and I truly hope that this will finde
you enjoying the same blesing I received
yours and your paps letter a few days a
go and would have ritting to you before
I was waiting for Mr Moss to carry my
letter he has got a furlow for forty days
and starts home this morning and I am
looking for Gillmon back to day I was
in hops that he would git here before
Moss started wee air campt a bought a
mile from tunilhill wee have had
a nother fight near chattanooga our
regt did not suffer in the chattanooga
fight but wee fell back to ringole and
wee had a pirty hard engagement and
wee drove them back and kild a rite
smart of them with a small loss
on our side no body kild or wounded
that you no I am off on guard to day
a bought a mile from the regt I
may stay here some time if I do I will
have a easy time here
[page 2]
the boys is all out to day building
brest work but I dont no wether
wee will make any stand here or not
the yanks has drove us from chattanooga
but they lost a grate deal the most
men in the fight our loss is estimated
at fore thousand 4000 while theirs is
said to be 15.000 they had to fight
us in our brest work and I think
that is was mis management that
caused us to have to leave their generl
Bragg has bin releived from deuty and
generl Hardee has him assinde in his place
I expect that they will make the
matter better or worse and I cant tell
which it will bee I have nothing that
is interesting to rite to you I am very
ancus to see you and I am in hops that
I will git to see you this winter there is
severl of our men gitting furlos but a furlo
that one gits without a recrute is so short that
they ant hardly worth [him?] going home with
tell Will that I say that I will rite to him
when to come if he has to go to the war that
he can stay till spring I must close for the
time I am your Husband till Deth TT Bigbie
to Mary Jane Bigbie
[page 3]
Dear father and Mother I am
well and I truly hope that this
will find you and family all
enjoying the best of helth and a
getting a long well I was glad to
here from you is is not worth
my while to try rite you the ware
news for I have ritting it so often
and no so little that it ant inter
esting and espeshely without it was
better you say that seser is to be sold [1]
the first of Jan uary I have ritting
to you before on that subject but I
dont no that you have got my letter
if I was their so that I could I would
try to buy him if you want to buy
him I will help you all that I can
if not and you will hier a negro
for next year I will pay the hier I
dond no any better [use?] that I could put
what little money I have got to if I
should live to git home may be
that it would help me a little
rite to me what you think a bought
it as soon as you git this I recon
that I will Drau my money in a few
[page 4]
days my comptution and wages
is a bought 160$ I will rite
a gain soon and let you no
whethe I git my close or not
Mother Jim Bush said that
he would rite when I rote but he
is of at work and me on guard
so he cant rite this time but you
keep the wat[c]h it is yours and
what you git of[f] Johns keep
and if any boddy is a minde to
fus a bought it let them fus
give my best love to all of
the children and tell them that
I say to be good children that I want
to see them tell Ant Ann that
I would rite to her but this is all
of the paper I have got with me
so I must close for this time
I still remain your son till
Deth T T Bigbie
M[r] G Lewis
Mrs M Lewis