[Tandy W. Key served as a private in Co. I, 13th Georgia Infantry]

T W Key
Fayett Co Va Head qr camp Defiance
October the 6 1861 Ad
Mr Harmon Dear Sir I imbrace The
opprtunity of addresing you a few lins
to let you hear from once moar
I hav nothing to write that will Interest you
Moar Than we are hear on big Sewell
Mountain we was in Sight of the enemy
Lasst night and we was fixin to give
them a fight but when we got up
This morning we could not See any
Thang of them Struck there tents
Sometime last night and went
Like words [2] ducks and I recon it
was good for them for we had concluded
To fill a honorable Soldiers
grave or To whip the fight one
harmon we hav hard Times Sins we left
Richmon for they hav us a runing
over these mountains and haf the
time nothing To eat and no tents to
Sleap under but we like Soldiers
Stood it finely without a murmer
tho we have a plenty to eat now
[page 2]
we had one side of the mountin verry well
fortified and I think that we could of held our
persition verry well for we had a considerable
force, som think that we was near equal in force
though I cant tell but little about that we
entended on whiping the fight if we could
let the forces bee as they may we have seen and
felt some of the heardships of a soldiers life
and I can say that I am willing to endure
heardships in such a cause, I live in the
antisipation of living in an independent
South, and when I return hom I feel
confident that I shal come with a crown of
a Glorious victory and under the Baner of a
new confederacy
this country is one of the brokenest parts of the
World that ever Ive been in in all of my life
however in passing through the country we
find some verry pretty vallies and fine farmes
for Grain for that is all that can bee rased
in this peart of the country I would not
like to live in this part very long at
a time there is some of the best water that
I ever drank in my life this is a great stock
country the best range that I ever saw
I bleave we have plenty of fat Beefe to eat now
[page 3]
Well cosen I hav bin waitting
For it to quit Raining but it semes
Like it aint a going to quit
and will finish my letter all of
The company is generally well exsept
too or three cases my brother is verry Sick
at this time he is the onely one that is any
way bad off WD & JT Cook is boath
well and out on picket to night
Harmon I will give you a Small Sketch
About our officer we hav got the bravest
Sett of field officer in the world and
As far as our capt is concernd he cant be
beet for all of his men loves him
and he loves them he ses if his me[n] gets
Killed he wants to dye with them he will
Stick to them to the last and his men
will follow hime to the end of the
World the last one of them
I have Just heard from general Lee he
has sent 5 thousen on pesuit of the yankees
to See whar they go too and to keep them
from stoping and fortifiing on the way
I dont think they will stop this side of
gawly River [3] I dont no whether we will
all follow on after them or not
[page 4]
We will hav to take up winter
qaters befoar long and I will try and
come home and see you all
Show this to all my nabors and
inquiring friends and tell them to write to me
and I want you to write soon and when you
w[r]ite w[r]ite moar for all you letters hav bin short
I must come to cloas by saying I remain yours truly
untill Death
T W Key to
Mr W H Harden
and wife