Dear Mother I wish to be there with you we have A good Deal
of Sickness in our company at this time and they git sick everry
day we have Sum that is verry Sick at this time but rest of the
connections is all well at this time but the fear that we have I
cant tell you how lonng they will Stay So our bread often have
nothing but water in it So mother I must come to A Clouse at this
time I wount you to rite as soon as you git this letter and tel all
the rest,to a rite as oftin as you can So nothing more at present but
remmer yours as ever A letter to sister and mother and all the rest
W C Athey

Elijah James Athey August 2 1862
W.C. Athey letter


Chatanooga tenn ) August the 2 1862
Dear sister I know take my pen in hand to let you
know that I am not well at this time I have got the
yellow Janders and is verry pourley at this time I hope these few
lines may come to hand and find you all well this is a poore place
fore A Sick man we have meat and bread Anuf to Doo At this time but
I cant eat but little of it we expect to leave hear in A Day or too
we expect to go to loudan tenn A bout A.bout one hundred miles up the
tinn r. A bout 15 or 20 miles below knoxville tinn one the r. tell Lacy
not to come untill he gits well for this is A poure place fore A Sick
man and if you git this letter before Lacy leave home Send me Sumthing
to eat and if the potatoes is not gon Send me Sum when Lacy Comes.
W.C Athey