[18]63
Camped at Atlanter Ga Aug the 22
Dear Ma
I have now seat
my self to answer your kind and
more than welcum letter that you
sent by Lieutenant [mcswime?] you
do not know how glad I was to
get a letter from you but I was
verry sorry to hear that John was
sick but cosin Jimme got a letter
from cosin mag this morning she
rote that he was about well I
was verry glad to hear it for I was
getting uneasy about him I have
no news to write that will interest
you you wrote that you had not
got a letter from me in a long
time I have been writing to you
mity near every week. evry since we left
Shelbyville you said that you did
[page 2]
not know whether I had got the
socks that you sent by m mc
mullin I got them I wrote you
a letter the next day and sent
it by [????] and I answered
you your letter that you w[r]ote to me
and cosin Jimme I recon that they did
not threw I was verry glad to
get those cakes from you I have noth
ing more at presant
Dear pa you spoke of
sending John [1] here to wate on me I
am verry glad that you did not
send him for it is all we can do
to get enough to eat our self Pa
if you please send me a little
money I would not ask you to send
me any but we have every thing by
to eat mity near we get one third
of a pound of bacon every [?] day and the rest beef
So I am mity near out your son B F Gentry
[added at top of page 2]
the beef is so poor that we cant eat it
Give the children my best love
tell all of the negroes howdy