Camden Nov^r 16^th 1864

 

            Dearly beloved wife after so long a time I take my pen to write & I beg of you to forgive for it would have trouble your mind to know that I was sick & in a bad condition when I last wrote to you the 30 ult I wrote I had been sick but was getting better but I took a sort of chills & fever evry day & the doctor could not brake them the weather turned bad & cold & our camp was so much exposed to the the Doctor concluded to send me to the hospital well I come & have have got into very cold room if it should turn cold though the doctor just now ordered that I should have my bed moved up next to the fire two fireplaces for a very large room & fifty or sixty men in it this Doctor is scolding me for setting up in the and writing so I have laid down and covered & am writin for I must write to you now I will let you know that I am getting very weak I can walk around & go up & down stairs I have had fever evry day for three weeks & have yet but not so bad I feel like I was going to get well but my life is in my merciful father hands & I pray to him dayly for his merc on me & my precious family our fair is bad for men that are low meal coffee for breakfast & buiscuit & pieces of mutton but I have eat no meat lately I crave nothing to eat yet I can eat we soup for dinner but it been very bad until yesterday it was better we get a potatoe now and then some of them boild in which is poor eating they sell little cakes here for a dollar a cake any thing / a man can find to eat he will pay most any price for it well our command has gone to a place called Wallnut Hill I think south of west a little it is believed they gone to take winter quarters James Downard is here with me sick but not bad off all the troops have left here but one Division the Arkansas troops this must be well fortified as there has been been an immense sight of work done here well I will finish my letter my hand trembles so I can hardly write now my dear wife dont give your self to much uneasiness about me if it it is God's Will that we shall meet again we will meet if I get well & this war goes on I dont believe I can stand it in the service much longer it impossible for a sick man to get a furlough unless there there is no possibility of him get well. tell Eddy to remember his Pa that I want to them all & kiss them & hug them once more tell Eddy never be guilty of telling an untruth it would make my heart ache to hear of my beloved boys lying but I know they do now & rejoice in the thought my dear wife if I could only clasp you to my breast at your house this evening how happy I would be you are not to make any pretension towards coming to se me its against my will entirely for this is no place for women & you couldnt do a bit of good to me now my love to to Matilda Jess & the children & Ellen & Betty you will all pray for me my kindest respects to the Mr Powels' Ladies I will not get any [paper hole] letters till I get to the command but write for I shall get away from here as soon as possible may God bless you your Devoted husband

Tho. W. Johnson

 

to M E Johnson                                                                                   

 

[side margin]  I omitted to say I received yours No 30 & 31 which was read with much pleasure

 

[top front margin upside down]          I will write evry opportunite

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