1862
State if Ala Jackson Co Sept the 5
My Dear and affecttion wife I this plesant morning
seat my self on the ground to answer your cind and
affecttion leter whitch I reseaved from you onthe third
iwas hapy to her from you an to her that you an
Budda was well and to her that budy was acroling and sow
sasey an fool of play I was over the Tenn River in the yankey
fort when the boys come I did not see thim tell last
knight tha sent your leter to me on the third by
P Evert the Captten would not let thim come
over to us that night but tha come yesterd but
I was out on picket an did not see thim while tha
was over thar I will tell you about the batles
that has bin her latulley the first was at
bridg port our men whoop thim and drove thim
off an then our men foulerd on after thim and
over tuck thim at steavenson an bum shell thim
out of thar fortifurcatin an cild some but the
yanks tuck thim off I was not in the fight nor
nun of our Co wee was at Runing water bridg but
wee was orderd down thar wee started about 12
oclock on sunday night it twas the last of Aug wee
went down to Janerl Macksey Quarters the orderd
us to Colonel Tolbert Quarters and stay all night
the batle was over when wee got thar then wee
was orderd over the River to guard the yankes camps
you ot to see that plase it belong to Capt Wrice
he belong to our side tha tuck it from him an
every thing he had he had alarge farm tha
pasterd it down an burnt all of his buildings
but his dwelling tha throud up brest works
all around the house it looks lik tha out to a
fout mitly thar but the boy ses that it was
nothing to what it was at Steavenson tha say
that wee nuver could nuver agot over thar brest
works wee tuck wright smart from thim tha was
a heap beter fixt in thar camps than wee air to live
[page 2]
O my Loving and affection wife it seemes like a
long time mee to bee absent from you tho I hope
that it ont bee long tell wee will met
agane tho the times dark and Cloudy to mee
but i dont min it mutch I hav got harden to
hard times tell i h[a]d as soon bee one plase as a
nother sow i get aplenty to eat an water to drink
whitch i hav got a plenty sow fur tha is a wright
smart of sickness in this Redgiment but not as
mutch as tha was a while back my Love I am as
fat as a bar but ant quite as ugley my gaws [1]
stick out like a cone and as sasey as a Squirel an
sligh as a fox and as harmless a Dove O that i could
bee with you and Budy to see him hug your loving
neck and kiss your sweet lips an to see him crall
after you i now that he is a heap of satesfaction to you
while i am gone from you tell Pap and Mother that
the boys got her safe i was glad to see thim tell
iwood bee glad to see thim tell thim to pray
for mee when it gose well with thim tell Gran
Pah and Gran Mah hody for mee tell thim to pray
for mee ifeel like inead the Prairs of Christen peo[ple]
i hope that i will see thim once mure in this
world iwant you to all to wright often for it tis
a grate satesfacttion to mee to her from any of you
Direct your leters to Chattanooga Tenn then
tha will come to us let us bee wher wee will
wee belong to Jenerl Maxey Brigade an Joneses Devision
A..T..Harky has got the Chills an feaver i dont think
that he is very bad off Hewet is well N..I..Narice is
well Wm..Maddox not well James Lary is not well
i will bring my leter to aclose Good By for this time
when this you see remember mee though many
apart wee may bee the smallest of the bushes
shall turn to large trees and the smallest of the rivers shall
turn to large sees ef ever i prove falts to my Charm Marey
Wm R Jones to M F Jones