Franklin Tenn April 12.. 1863
My Dear Parents
I received your kind latter to
day and was very glad to here from you to here that
you was all well and enjoying good helth. I am well
and feel as well as ever I did in my life. I haf had good
helth never since I left Cleveland. there has been a
great many sick in our regiment since we left but
not any more than could be expected where there is so many
men. but there is not many sick here now it was when
we come here first that there was so many sick it is
very helthy here now. the wather is warm and nise
and it is dry here the ground is hard and nise and
the grass is nise and green. the peach trees are out of
the blow now and the leavs are geting quite green. I sup
pose the trees hardley haf started to bud yet where you
are. I was out on picket yeserday and I saw some nise
peas in a gardin. they was up 3 or 4 inches high there will be
green pees here in a fiew weeks. I am going to send you a
nother paper with this latter I sent you one last
week. I suppose you haf got them before this reaches you
the one that I am going to send you this time has got
the skermish in that we had here on the 10 it gives
the hole preticlers batter than I can tell you. I suppose
you haf herd of it before this there was but one Regt
[page 2]
in the fight that was the 40 Ohio they was out
on picket when they made a dash on them about 1
oclock in the day but they got the worst of it they got
drove back in quick time and they lost a great
many men and horses our side dident loos many men
there was but 4 or 5 killed and 3 or 4 wounded on our side there was
3 or 4 missing that they think was taking prisoners. our
Company was detaled after the fight was over to go
to where the fight was to hunt the town. we went
over and hunted all the houses but there was not
any found but we found some things that belonged
to them and the cavelry found lots of guns and saburs
they have all kinds of guns that you can mention
shot guns there was lots of them found captin
Wilson found a rifel that they lost it was a nise
rifel. the cavelry got lots of stuf they road over
the ground aftere the fight and picked up every
thing that they wanted. they rebels got cut up pretty
bad the 40 Ohio is a good regt to fight they stood ther
ground as long as they could with out giving back
they got in to a pees of woods and ther they moed
them down they cut the flag down 3 times and
they rased it agane. they appeard as if they was crasy
the prisoners that was taken said that their officers
gave them gun pouder and whiskey to drink before
they made the atact they was about half drunk any way
the prisoners said that their intentions was to take
[page 3]
the plase but they got steped up on it. I suppose
they thought they could take the plase but there is
most to much forse here for them and the old fort
plays on them to fast them old Seigues guns [1] throw
the shells spitefull you had aughto here them once
when they go off you can imagin what a nois a
shell would make where they are as large as a comin
sised wagon hub when I saw them they made me think
of wagon hubs more than any thing eles that I could
think of some of the boys found one of them that was
shot and dident burst.. the next day some of our boys
wer detaled to go and help to bery the ded rebels and
ded horses most of the rebels wer shot through the head
I saw one that was shot through the knee he told
us what their intentions was and how they was used
he said they never had any tents and they could not
get any clothing of any acount they are very purley dres
sed. I am going to send you a pees of a shurt of thers for
a specimen and a pees of its triming, there was some
officers killed. I saw one Captin that killed he had
a poor sute for a captin all the way you could tell
he was a captin was by some stripes that he had on
his armes their officers dont dress as nise as ours do.
we had a hevey reinforsement last night there
was 3 or 4 Regts. came one of them was mounted
infantry there is 4 or 5 Devitions here there is Gen. Shardon
with his Devition Gen Granger and his Gen. Beard and his
[page 4]
and Gen. Gilbert and his we are in his devition. I haf
herd that there was one or two more but I dont know for
surtin. We haf been payed off we was payed on the 8 of
this month we got two months pay. I wrote you in my
latter before this that we expected to be payed and I
thought then I would send it home by Liut Doubel
day but I haf got a batter Chance now. the next day after
we come off picket who did we see here but Magor
Gates from Brucklyn and Mr. Walace. I think
you are aquanted with Gates. his name is Clark,,Gates
but they call him Magor because he was magor once he
come down here with some Diserters he said he dident
know that he was a coming until the night before he Star
ted. he started home to day and Bill Reed and I and
Sam Ames sent our money home by him. I sent $20.00
dollars and Bill 15.00 dollars and Sam 20.00 dollars
I thought is was a good chance to send it he said he
would take it to you or Ames and leave it all to one
plase we gave him 2.00 dollars for taking it he would
haf took it for nothing if we would have lut him he had
a good pile of money to take home with him write and
let me know when you get it. them rebels that you and
Ruben hall was talking with had aughto be down here with
these at Spring hill. they might get layed out like some
of them on the 10 that is what had aughto be done with
them the rebels aughto be killed at home I think but they
Cant do much any way the rebels are most played out.
they cant stand it much longer. I should like to be at
home when that weding comes off but it is an imposibilety
to be there yet a while you must send me some of the weding
cake any way now Ellen [2] you must not forget it I hope you
all will have a good time to the weding for I expect you
will have a large croud there I dident think you was g[oing?]
to be so soon but I expect there will be a nother one before
long that will be Lute and Vet I had a latter from Vet about
a week ago and I answerd it. I got a latter from Willey Madison
and he said that Ellen was going to be maried I expect every body
knows it around there but the boys haf not herd from it yet I
expected that they would here it in a latter [but?][it is?] all right [??]
Katie [3] spoke about old Cutter being drunk I should think he would not
get drunk so quick after his wife dieing it is time for me to stop writing
for this time this is from your so with mutch love to all
A. H. Rose
[added in margins of page one]
I was very glad to receive that paper I suppose that
package of paper will be a great while coming for
there has been some come through to some of the boys the
Strongsville and Roys had a box of provition sent through
the dover boys haf sent for one I suppose you haf herd of it
before this you must no think we dont have
a nough to eat for we do we haf plenty but they thought they must
haf one because the other boys had one but dont send any thing that will spoil write soon
[added in margins of page two]
give my love to all enquirring friends I herd to day
that the story was around there that sherman Spery
was ded but I cant tell whather it is so or not I haf not
herd from in a long time it may be so he looked bad when he left here
[added in top margin of page three]
I think I haf done my duty to this sheet any way you
must excuse all mistakes for I had to write it by spells as I could
ketch it. I am well as ever. write soon my love to all once more
tell Jennie and clara [4] a dosen kisses to them