May the 23 1864
Mad dison Stout hospittle
Dear wife onst more i Am
Blest with oppor tunity of Riting
to you onst more to in forme
you that I Am as well as Comon
hoping thas fue lins may find
you and my dear little ons All
well Bless thair little harts I
Cant git to hear from them and
you But it dont keep mee from
thinking of you All tena
I hav loock for A letter from
you till I hav lost All hops
what is the matter I hav no
ider I hav Recieved But one from
you since december tena that
is the liest time that Ever Rold
over Johns hed it seems lik
that All that Can giv mee trubbel
has A fair shak at mee I no
that I will not liv all ways
and if I new I wood hav to spend
[page 2]
the Rest just as I hav Bin speding
my time for the last two years
I wood ask not to stay But I Can
hope for Better times tena as
for news I hav more than I cood
Rit in A week Johnson has fell
Back to Cass station five mils
this cide of Kingston whair
I suferd so mutc las febRuary
and the Enemey still pressing him
this thing is near at A Close
I think But how it will wind
up I Cant tell you in this
the yankeys has got Rome
18teen mils Below Kingston
the papers say that shurmans
Armey is mooving on Johnson
in three detach ments today
is sunday I will finish this letter
in the morning I will git the
news to nite and in the morning
from the front I will giv it
to you as it is giv to mee good By
[page 3]
tena I hav set down to finish
this letter as for news Buy the
trane this morning I got But
little But the yankeys has Burnt
Cass station thair is grat Excite
ment hear the malisha is all
orderd to Report at attalanta
as I hav Rot to you Be fore this
attalanta wood Be the mane
struggel thair will Be A maney
A man di Be for it will Be taken
we hav lost in this last Rout
from dalton to Cass A Baut
three thousan men A Baut six
hundred kild ded A pon the
feeld and A grate maney more
will di that is wonded so A doc
tor told mee this morning
Johnson hedquarters is at ma
rietter it is twenty mils
A Bov attalanta I Cant find out
whither he is still falling Back
or not I will Rite day after to
[page 4]
to mor row to you this is mon
day tena I will hav to go to
the frunt A Baut friday if no
sooner But I will Rit the last
thing I doo Befor I leav hear
I Rote to John W Edmonds the
other day and to peter Ball all
if you doo git the letter Rite
to mee direct your letter to
mad dison Stout hospittle
I must Cum to A Close
kiss the Boyes for mee Bless
thair little harts how Bad I
want to see them yes and gab
and may the Best of All tena
tena Be in good hart as you
Can I will Be at home Befor
vary mutch longer this is so
tell Beckey to hold out faith
ful tell all of my friends
houdey tena Rite to mee
may gods Blessing} John W Reese
Rest with you } C TV Reese
[written in yop margin of pages 2 and 3]
tha air running thair stuf to Agustia from attalanta whil Riting your nam the cars past loded with stuf from attalanta as will Edmonds ust t say loock out for Brothers