Alabama
Jackson County July the 10 1862
Dear wife I take my pen in
hand to drop you a fiew lines
to let you no that I am yet
numberd a mong the living
I have had a very bad spel
with my head and eyes for
a bout four day but I think
that I am a bout well no[w] tho
have not bin put on duty
yet I reckon that I will go
in the morning thar is a grate
meny sick men her now mostly
the measols and mumps bad
colds and caughs is common in
camps I will gave you a bit
the history of our travails
we first went to chattanooga
then to the narrows on tennesea
river then back to Chattanooga
then to knoxville
and back again t hen to
shelmount from thar to
white side then to the
Alabam
[page 2]
we ar in hearing of the
yankes but we have bin
in hering of them so oftan
that I dont no whether we
will get eny nerer or not
I dont think that thar ever
be mutch fighting hear
they have got the yankes
Cut of[f] from nashvill and other
plases so they ar tore up and
that smartly too so I will
talk a bout sompthing else
Caroline I started forty
dollars to you the 13 of this
instance [1] by the hand of
dr John Burns I direct a fiew
lines to T P Hinton and directed
him to d[r]op Midleton a fiew
lines to go and git it for you
for I did not have tim to
rite you my self at that
time but I think that
you will get it I want you
to pay J C Randolphs wife
that ten dollars that I owe or
git Middleton to sea to it
for you
[page 3]
but dont pay it til you
can git the note and then
pay Rebecker for my suit
and keep the rest for your
one use but devide with
mother wen she neads it as long
as it lasts we ar in title to
another draw tomarrow but it
may be another month these
things is ansertain tho it will
bea good when it comes
dont sel your Cotton til it
gits high anuf to pay for things
that you have to by fifteen
cents will be no price atall
for cotton after a while tel
mothe not to get out of hart
and save hir Corn and whet
if I Just cold get to your

good corn bread an buttermilk
I would get fat in one day
tho we git a plenty to eat
but no corn bread tel littl
Rebecker that I got three
good appels this evning
and it made me think of
[page 4]
hir as soon as I saw them
I received your kind letter
of the 6 July and was truly
glad to hear from you
but was sorry to hear of the
dry weather rite oftain
and direct your letters the
same way and to the same
place to the Chattanoga tennisee
59 Rigt Gorgia volinteers
in cear of Capt A T Bennett

tell all hands to rite to
me soon and rite mutch
wile I am in the wilderness
a way over in the Alabam
tell Middleton to Cum
over and I will gave him

a chew of tobacco I had to
by 2 dollars worth to git my
money changed so I will
Close nothing more but
Remains yours truly
WP Mangum
to L C Mangum