Franklin Tenn May 7th 1863

My Dear Parents
I received your kind
latter last night and you cant imagine how
glad I was to here from you it has been just
a month yesterday since I got a latter
from you the latter you sent me with that
wedding cake in I hant received yet but it
may come through byanby but I cant tell when
but I hope it will soon for I should like to
here about the wedding for I haf not herd the
perticklers yet if their was any I haf ritten
3 or 4 latters to you since the one before the
wedding and did not receive any until this
one you batter belive I was glad to get it I supp
ose the others are mislayd some where they get
mislayd some times and it takes a long time
for them to get here them papers you sent with
this latter I haf not got I received a paper when
I rote my last latter that makes 10 or 12 that I haf
received it takes a long time for them to come
through I am glad you haf herd from Uncal
Fred.. when you write agane you give me the direc
tions so that I can write to him for I should
[page 2]
like to get a latter from him I Suppose you
told him that I was soldgering I wonder what
he thinks of this war I guess he thinks it is a bad
thing for the states I guess that he feels the afects
of it for their is not many but what does.. I dont
think the war will last much longer for
the rebels haf been whiped out pretty well a
long back old Hooker [1] has been giveing them
fits lately we her to day that he had them sero
unded and their communications cut off I hope
he may have good success and whip them out
but I suppose before this reaches you we will here
which side whips. the rebels are getting rather
heard feed other plases as well as their I think
they will soon hefto give up if we get those large
plases and I think we will no doubt old Rosecrans has
not made many moovements lately he has a
little skermish once in a while with them it
is done mostly by the cavalry for they can go out
and have a fight and retreet if necessary in a quick
time our cavalry goes out every two or three days and
has a tusel with them they most allways bring some
prisoners with them I told you in my last latter
about how they took a lot of prisoners we haf not
done much lately here exept choping we haf been
choping down the woods all around here so that if
we are attacted it will give a good chance for the
[page 3]
big gunns the forts are about finished now and
they are good ones to it is imposible for the rebels
to take this plase.. General Gilbert has
mooved our brigade over the river about a mile
from where we was before we are not any farther
from Franklin than we was before the reason they
mooved us was so we would be closter to the
woods that we haf gotto chop we mooved yester
day we are encamped in a pees of woods we doant
know how long we will stay here but not any longer
t[h]an we can get the timber down the officers say we
are going to moove back before long but we cant
tell which way we will moove until we start we
doant know very long before we move where we
are going. I suppose that little box is on the
way I hope we will be here when it comes it may be
a long while coming but some of the boxes come
through pretty quicky and some are a long while
coming it was to bad that that box could not come
through that you got up but we are all right yet
we have plenty to eat and that is all we ask for we
haf better provitions down here that I expected we
get milk to eat once in a while when we can find
cows we was on picket day before yesterday where their
was lots of cows Sam Ames and I went out before
daylight and got our canteens full and a litle pail
full before the rest got up we haf lernt how to milk
[page 4]
secesh cows pretty well milk goes good once in
a while for a change in our coffee every thing
looks nise here now the potatoes are growing
nise and the corn looks well and every thing
else I suppose things haf only just started to
grow good I suppose you haf got through soing
oats by this time I hope the war will be over
by the time you will want to sow agane so I can
help you but I think we will if nothing hapends
Bill Reed has got back to the regt.. and is all right G..
Porter is sick in the Hospital in Franklin he looks
bad. Orlando Austin is in Nashvill and the last
we herd from him he had the Cronick dierah I haf
not herd from him lately all the rest of the boys are
all right I am as well as ever. when I herd that
Bert Austin was ded I could hardley belive it
for it came in a latter that O. C. Smith got from
Abbie Ward but after I got your latter I found it
was true it must haf made his folks feel bad I
should think it would go hard with his Father for he
is so sick I suppose Jennie felt bad because she has
lost her true love it made the boys feel bad when we herd
of it for Burt was a good falow. I am glad to here that
Bill webesdale is all right. I should like to here how
Rudolph is. I haf not had a latter in a long time not
since I rote to him and that is over a month I suppose
Ellen you will live in that nise log house on the
cross road you will have a good lot of neighbors their is Mrs
Laurence for one but you are all right never fear.. Sents I suppose
you will goe down into Possum holow bymby that will be a bulley
plase with that big mother. well I must close for this
time give my best respects to all enquiring friends
and my love to all of you a thousand times over this
is from your son (write soon) Andrew .H. Rose
[written at top of page one]
Claria and jennie I am glad that that
ring fit your fingers but I am pretty good at guessing
if I get time I will make another with a dosen kisses to you
I was glad to here that Ames Clark got such a horning it is a wonder
that you did not if you can read this you will do well much love to all once agane
[written at top of pages two and three]
I will right agane before many days with more love to all of you good bye