Jackson mississippi June 7 1863
dear wife with pleasure I am pur
mit ted this good SabBath mor
ning to drop you A fue lines
to let you no that I am well
as Coman hoping thase fue lines
may find you and the Children
all well and dooing well tena
I am A long ways from home yes
I am and in A hot place it is as
hot hear now as I Ever Saw it
in Bun comb in August thair is
green Beenes pees is A Baut dun
Bairing and Cuw Cumbers and
Corne is silking and tasling
the water is power ful Bad tha
[??] air Blest at this time withe
with toler Bill watter I dont
no how long we will git to
stay hear ouer Regmant is out
on picket to day tha hav Bin
fiting Be low hear for tw or thr
days at A place Called Big Black
Brig tha air fiting to day dow thair
sum whair the canons is soundi
ng vary hevey
[page 2]
tha hav Bin fiting [??]et turBill
at Vickas Burg the news in Jack
son last nite was that the
feds had taken it and if
if it is so wee will hav to
git upup from hear tena van [Vance’s]
cs old Regmant is Below
hear I Expect in the fite at Blac
k Brig it is A Baut 45 mils
from hear to vicks Burg
I hav saw wheat Cut and in the
Shock oats is turning tena
we left woair trace tennes
see on Sunday the 24 of may
and got hear the first day of
June we Cum By atlanter
and then to montgumery
then to the tensaw River
22 mils A Bov moBeal [???]
down thair we got thair A
Baut A leven oClock in the
nite and staid thair tell 7 oCl
ock nex moring and went that
day to moreder 135 mils on the
Mobeal and ohio Rail Rode then
to this place tena I hav Saw
A heepe and sufered A Good
deel for water and sumthing I cood Eat
[page 3]
I think this fite will End the
Strife in the west if we
los vicks Burg we los All of
the west Countrey thats worthe
mutch to us tena I will Rite
in A fue days A gane when
this fiting is over and I will
Rite mor interresting news
if I liv to git throu Safe and if
not my frends will let you no
A Baut it I am still horsler for
Capton Ray I dont think tena that
I will hav to go in to A fite
with A gun I may hav to attend
to them in time of A fite he has
A fine animel and as fine as fiddle
I hav Bin telling him that sh is to
fine to wair out in this wair that
he had Better Send mee home
with hur to his wife and I think
if we was in Reach of home I
think I wood git to take it
home tena I dont think that we
will stay hear vary long I think
wee will go Back in to East
ten nes see I am in hopes so
tena good RobBerds hant got
his papers fixt yet
[page 4]
I wish he Cood for I want to send
you sum money I no you stand in
need of it tena you had Better
Borey twenty fiv dollars to doo
you tell I Can Send it to you
tell your nabers not to Be A frad
to lone it to you for if I die or
liv tha will Be shore to git it I
want you to Rite to mee as soon as
git this letter direc your letters
to Jacson mississippi Bracke
nRidg divsion Stove all Bregade
60 north CaRolina troops I must
Close tell all of frends houdey
and that I want you to kiss
my Boys for mee tell Brug that
I hav got him nife to send to
him whem RobBerds Cums home
and the girs I will send them Ring
A peace O how Bad I want to see
the Babey yes and tena and Cis and
margrett O Role one Sweet
moments and let the poor pilgrum
go hom go hom I hav not Rote
you out that porety But I will
Rite soon I pray gods Blessings
to Rest A pon you all
with A Clar hart I John W Reese
Close my lov to you to CT V Reese