Tuscumba Alabama Co H 63rd Ga Reg
Smiths Brig Cleuberns Div Cheathams
Corps Gen Hoods Army of Tennessee
6th Nov 1864
My Dear Sister Susan
The present
affords me great pleasure to drop you
a line letting you no my where abouts
also will suffise for Gussie & all the
famely to no where I am. My health
is tolerable goo The only dificulty
in our Army at present is nothing
to eat before I came to them they
were drawing one year of Corn per day
for rations to the Man during the
march in Shermans rear now its
better but so scant until it scarcely
worth notice we draw scarcely enough
beef to eat once a day & enough bread
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for one meal which we make three
meals a day or do without The boys
try to fo[r]ege the Country every day but
they get no provision its not in the
Country the people have left up here
long ago & have gone in the interior
of the State there was nothing made
here to eat Several Soldiers have run
away from the Army & gone home
on the account of small rations twenty
of Gouans Brigade left last night & are
gone home on the account of pore feed
I think its hard pore Soldiers cannot
get enough to eat when there is enough
taken for taxes from home to feed
all the Soldiers in the hole Army
Sis I havent any important news
to rite you we are unable to get papers
you can see papers & hear more of
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the War than we Soldiers can we are
now sixteen miles from the Post Office
& get mails very seldom. I havent
had a word or letter from home since
I left which was the tenth of October
& when I left all were in bad health
a combination of all troubels that a Soldier
has to undergo is enough to brake his
heart & make him despair I am more
anxious to hear from you all since
I left than ever I was before I am
fearful sum of you are dead or very
sick Its very hard for any of us
to receive letters from home when one
of our neighbour boys receive a letter
all are running to him currous to no
if they say any thing about his people
Sim Moorman & David are well
Webb is well & little & big Henrys
[page 4]
Montfords are hearty Cute Smith
hearty Tobe Celham & Alferd Morgan
quite hearty all the boys are rather
low spirited in regard to the War
the boys say they are harder pushed
for sumthing to eat here than when
they were in Vicksburg all are grumblin
at the fare & are anxious for the War
to end that they may once more return
to their welcome homes Sister how
are you getting on at home have
you sowed wheat how are your hogs
fatning how are your Cows keeping up
are your horses mending how are the
Negroes doing I am fearful Congress will put
them all in the War to fight the Yankees
when that is done a number speak of going
home that is the very principle we are fighting
against now to comens in favour tis thought to
be [very bad?] to me the Army of Tennessee
they will cum strait My Love to all the
famely kiss Gussie & Johnie for me I remain
your Affectionate Brother John M. McNeel