The State of tennissee Chattnooga August the 20 1862
dear father and Mother and brother and Sister i wont
more Set mi Self down to rite you a fu lines to let
you no that i am well as common at this
time and i hop when this com to hand hit will
find you all well and doing well i wont to se you
all the wost i evr did in life the bois is well ex
Sept John rogers he aint well yit he mendes mity
slo william and gorge kilgore has got the mumpes
and the rest of the bois gon out on picket gard tha
wil be gon 2 dase and nites tha ar gon a bou 4 miles
on the river and the yankes is Jest on the other
side Jack hasltt and h g amerson william kambul
tha all went of in a mity gale tha all 3 looks
the bes you evr Sed them tha wod not hav me
a long for i cant her good anuf for gard i have
to sta her in campes and cock for the them that
wos not well a nuf to go i dont think tha
treat me rit for i cod do Som good i axk lutenant
bartain what wos the resant that i coddnt git
a dis charge and he Sed he diddnt no he Sed tha
wos trian evryday but i dont blev him
i dont belev tha hav evr trid wen tha com back
from pick gard i am a going to ax lutendnt Clines all
a bout hit for whot he Se i will belav hit he
is all the ofser i can trust i her this morning
well we ar order togo down on the river a bout
4 miles from her idont know whether we wil
go or not fother i cant Sa whother tha wil giv
a discharg Soon or not i wil ef i can i cant git
Satsfaction about hit i no i Se the lest
Satesfaction of any man in the rigement but
i will tri to sta tel tha wil let me go home
i hop that go the lord will be with me
and help me re turn home
[Page 2]
won time more i drother be at hom than to have
all the money tha is in the Sorthern con federson
i tel you ef i wos at home i think i wod be
the bes Satsfid in the worl i never can be
Satesfid tel i com hom fother i remember
yor and mothers advice you give me be fore
left home i hant tuck no bad habit up
nor i wont i tel you her is a bad plase to
Stay you dont now of you no how bad i wont
to be at wher i cod se you all and i cod tell
you mey thing i nev nod be for tel brother
Jim i wont to se him the wost in the world
and tel him for mi Sak not to volite[r]
for ef i get out this i will nevr will voliter
a gan tel Jim to rit to me and rit all the nuse he
nose i hant never got nary leter from CM yit
wod beglad to her from him and Apsan ef
you plese ax C M ef i rote him any in Sultin
leter or not and tel him hit dont do
me e[n]y good for me to rit to him and he
dont rit to me i wod be glad he wod rit
all the nuse he nose ef i cant se you i won
to her from you i rsev the leter that rhoda
the 10 of August i got hit the 18 wos glad
to her that you wos all as well as commen
i Jest had rote heralet and put hit in
the offis when the car com and fetch the leter
i wot wont you all to rite to me as oftdin
as you can but i no you have a bad have [ee?]
so ef we nevr meat no no on earth i hope
we wil meat in heavn nevr we wil
part no more rite when you cn
William S Poe to Jeam and Mary Poe
when this you Se remmber me