August 15^th 1863

 

            Dear wife again I have the privilege of communicate with you by letter to let you know that I am well and doing very well at this time & hope that you may be enjoying the same great blessings when this comes to hand I received a letter from you on 11^th of this month which gave me a great deal of pleasure it being the first I had reced from you since your letter of the 1^st June this being written July 4^th one month & 7 days on the road I was very glad to hear from you and especially to hear that you were all well as that is a blessing we should value above all others except a good conscience [faded] you letter comes by the favor of Mr M^cCowen but his regiment & ours have not been together for a long time therefore I did not se him as you expected Alexanders & Stevens Regt were at Natchitoches the last I heard from them. you wrote there were some excitement up about the Indians which gives me some uneasiness as reports from Cooper & Lee are discouraging it is reported here now that they are both killed & their armies retreating [faded] I hope that it may not be so but if they should be drove in to Texas you must try & keep out of the way of those indians one thing we have not got much to lose if you leave all I cannot think yet that they will get in there in force though there will be stealing parties in all the time / if the news should come that they the feds & indians were coming in there would be a great many come home if they can come no other way they will desert & come but it will only be a disadvantage to the army for them to do so as they would do no good there towards keeping the enemy back I would love to be with you but I do not like to come that way but I think it probable that if that be the case that this Brigade will be ordered to texas you wrote that you received the money I sent you which I was very glad to hear you said you had paid of the most of our debts & had tried to pay for that place but that they would not receive the money untill he wrote to the heirs to se whether they would take it or not if they wont take the money just let it go for the present & take the money & do the best you can with it if grain is cheap you would do well I think to buy grain with it especially enough to do you Scruggs wife wrote that corn could be bought at 25 cts bushel or engaged at that rather, that is cheap & if you can get at that I would get enough to fatten your meat you write you have not heard of that filly yet I am inclined to think that that was her that Stone took off you wrote that Mr Tiler's girls & Ap were boarding with you going to school but that you did not like the business I was in hopes you would like it but I want you to do as you think best you say also that Eddy is going to school I expect it is for the best I want him to learn all he can you write you were weaving a good deal & that you had in a piece to make me some shirts I glad you are getting along so well & so thoughtful / of me I am needing a shirt now & pr of pants but I am in hopes that I can get them here I have drawn one shirt & could have drawn more but gave back to others I have 2 winter shirts & plenty of coats to do me if I can keep them I think you were wrong about what you would get from mr hill being charged to you if such is the case I would advise you not to get as long as you can do any other way we cannot expect our country to do much for us when she is exerting evry nerve to sustain herself she is bleeding at evry point now & will do well to get out free but is the people that do not treat the soldiers & their wives and children as they should be I am glad to say there are some exceptions but those that are speculating off of soldiers wifes ought to hang as high as Haman we are working for 12 dollars per month & the law coppels us to take it & produce that we have to buy should be in the same proportion all should bear an equal burden but those that are speculating at home would be the ones that would succumb to the feds & say they hadnt been in the war & all this &c tell Mrs More that I am well acquainted with her son clark that he is well doing very well I have never heard from Ed Miller yet if Jess moves off & gets plenty of house room & will take you in perhaps you had better move in with him that is if you have to leave town you must use your own judgment about that you say Mr Fletcher took a drove of beeves off but brought them back on account of them not being wanted / there was a better reason than that I recon he could not get them across just then. I have not much more to write to you as I had just sent a letter to you when I received yours & gave you all the news which I knew which was not very much the health of this Army is tolerable good considering there is some sickness but not much none fatal mostly diarhea &c the news has come in that Lee has whipped Gen^rl Mead very badly but it is not confirmed yet the Feds have possession of Berwicks bay now & it is said they are crossing in pretty heavy force if that is so we will have to fight or leave here before long I think that the Army that is this army will winter at Nibletts bluff in Texas they are moving off the commissaries in that direction & Shreveport I have no idea when I shall get to come home I pray God that it may not be long but the prospect is rather dark & gloomy at this time there have been some deserting going on in the our army & a good deal of dissatisfaction going on existing among our troops on account of the fall of Vicksburg & Port Hudson which is a heavy blow upon us but not enough to give it up. I have ate a good bit of wattermelons since I commenced writing this there are a good many in this country with these lines I must close with sending you my love kiss the children for me & pray God that we may meet in peace soon yours affectionately                                               

Thomas W Johnson

SOURCES