[entire letter in the hand of J. A. McMurtrey]

Sept 4th1862
camp cumming near Abingdon
dear wife I take my pen to in
form you that I am well at
this time hopein that these
few lines may find you enJoying
the same blessing I have not
herd from Jack since he left
the rest is wed[????????????] [1]
I reckon that you would
like to hear how we got on
as we come here we come to
Dalton that night after we
started and staid there till the
next day at elleven oclock
the collumbus company stole
a barrel of whiskey and they
had a fine time that
night the next day we
started and got to Noxville
that nigt at three oclock
I didnot sleep mutch that
night the next day we star
ted from there at twelve
oclock the next day we
[page 2]
traveled all day and all night
and by the next day at
seven oclock we got to Abingdon
and then took our things on
our backs and marched two miles
and put up our tents
The corn in georgia is the sorryest
I ever seen in tenneese it is
good and here it is the best
I ever saw the wheat here
is the best I have seen the
grain is very near as big as pea
and there is heep of it
flour is cheap it is four cents
a pound salt is one dollar a
bushel the men has not
mutch chance to run a
bout they have to drill
four hous a day
I have run a bout a
good deel since I came here
and have seen a good deel of
this country and there is
some pretty gals here too
[page3]
sergent Crofford is gone to the
hospital he has got the worst
of disea complaints ever caught
from a woman
we have got our guns and
our cannons our horses
will be here to day
Stonewall Jackson is perseu
ing the yankees and is in
four miles of Washington
it is thought that he will
take the city before he stops
I was in Abingdn the other
day and saw eleven yankee
prisoners they said that
they could not whip us
I have nothing more to rite
I want you to rite to me and
let me know mutchWillie
weight is so nothing more at
this time but your friend
until death good bye
J. A. McMurtrey
[page 4]
Sept 4th 1862
dear parents brothers and
sisters I take my seat to
inform you that we are all
well at presant
we could not all get artilary
fifty of our company had to
[???] take rifles I took a rifle
first as did henry and Bill
and Joe and old man Brooks
Addison is still on the detail
yet I want you to rite
me what Mary is doing
and where she is
I rote her a letter I think
think that she will reck
reckon it I told her that
she would not get any more
money from me
I send 25cents to Isaac
tell all the childrn houdy
for me
so nothing more but
your obedient child
Jesse Johnson