Harissonburg Feb^r 4^th 1864

 

            Dearly beloved wife I avail myself of this opportunity of writing you a few lines to let you know how I am getting a long at this time which is well enough in body as I am in the enjoyment of very good health but is not so well in mind as my heart aches because I cannot come to se you instead of this letter, but the prospect of coming is so dim that I hardly have

 

Feb 11^th           I commenced writing this letter on the 4^th inst but was called of on picket from that on to a scout of four days we got in day before yesterday at night we have been to Vidalia on the Mississippi opposite Natchez we did not have any fight of any consequence but skirmished a little but run the feds in to town & right under the fire of their gunboats they had three gunboats that fired on us all the time that is the army I was left back on the road nine miles on picket we got a good many mules & beef cattle it was a hard trip the roads were bad the army marched 25 miles the day of the fight if the feds had fought like men they could have killed half of our men but they wouldnt stand they are rebuilding Ft Beauregard here at this place & I expect we will stay here as long as we can perhaps all summer / There are over one Hundred negroes at work on it & more coming I think we will be able to hold the place we are living very well now though we dont get any flour I was going to say when I commenced how sorry I was that I couldnt come instead of writing James Downard will fetch this to you he got a furlough there was an order for two men out of a company to be picked by the commanders of companies & the most of our company is from Hunt & Collin he would only let one come to cook & because James did not get to come home last winter he he let him have the furlough but I thought there were three of us that had families there that ought to have come in preference to James & they were Scruggs & Terry & you can guess the other one I never thought I would be seperated from you so long I do not know whether there will be any more furloughs granted or not & if there are I do not know whether I could get or not I am getting very tired of this war it is assuming a character I dont like there is too much pressing or rather stealing going on to suit me Government stealing & individual stealing I am a fraid we cannot prosper under such management we are losing more friends than we gain & I think now that the negroes will eventually be free / even if we gain our independence now this country down here is nearly ruined now & getting worse evry day I will send you two hundred dollars by James downard I could send you more but I want to keep it to bear my expenses if I ever do get to come home again which I pray to God I may I want you to do what you think best with it I do not know what to advise you to do only if you think there is danger there to try and get away. I hear that James furlough has come in if so he will start in the morning & he will come & se you & he can tell you perhaps more than I can write you wrote in your last 27 December that you would write in a few days again but it has not come to hand yet clark Loring got one the 15^th Jan^y I have not got that from Col Montague yet I am very sorry I didnt get it give them my respects & love I expect you are lonesome now tell me if any body is staying with you & how you are getting along give my love to Matilda & Jess & the children & write how he is doing tell Jess to write to me give my respects to enquiring friends & tell them I would like to hear from them I just now learned that bell from stevens Regt Parson Hamel's son in law will start home this evening. well it looks to me like I ought to come but if I cant I am glad others can but it is hard to stay here & hard to get away 

 

This finds me to day in the enjoyment of a reasonable portion of health & hope it may find you all the same tell Eddy that I think a about him very much and hope he will be a good boy & try & learn as much as he can again I get home I know he can learn if he has half a chance tell him to be a good boy in school if he is going & Johny what is he doing has he got through the pictures yet I recon not tell I want him to learn too & not let Eddy beat him to bad now Willie what are you doing a spoiled child I expect does he talk any yet. I dont suppose he would know me now nor I him well that is bad but cant be helped now it will soon be time to get up cows think you can get any if you cant tell some of my good neighbors I want them to get them for you well I am about through James will tell you the balance. So Hoping through the mercy of God we will still meet before a great while here on earth & finally in heaven where parting will be no more & with my love & respects I am yours

Thomas. W. Johnson

 

M E Johnson

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