direct               March 17—1862

camp near Nashville Tenn

Co H 64 Regt OV      

 

Dear Love as I have a chance of sending this to you I thought I improve this opportunity of writing this to you all though it only 2 days since I wrote to you but I must improve the opportunities when I can I begin to feel better some like I ought to I feel in good spirits but why should I not as much company as we have here and plenty to eat and nicely cooked we have bread a part of the time & ham & fresh and salt beef potatoes sugar coffee hard bread marked B & C the interpretation you can imagine & desticated & vegetable / potatoes cooked and dried part of it is mixed with carrots cabage and numerous other things we put them in the beef soup which is splendid we are the best cooks you ever saw we begin to think that we can beat the girls in Auburn cooking we begin to think that we will do to get married soon we can do every thing but tend the babies and so on we are about 3 miles west of Nashville but soon we will be mooved to Alabamma 150 miles from here 60 miles mud road but for all that I often think of you when in the land of secess and think of you in my dreams often and imagin myself in the embrace of my lovely little girl and Lover but am not able to see her sweet loving face and those roza lips you might imagine that there is some coquetery about this but not so for this is the sentiment / of my heart and could say mor if I was permitted to have the oportunity to but hope soon that we may be permitted to meet once in the land of piece and quietude but I will a long way to go before that time will come it may be such a thing that we will see the Gulf of Mexico we are making that way but if we do you may be sure that the rebels are a head of and not in our rear for they scadadle when we come near them leave most every thing be hind them my health is better think now I can stand it good James is very well he is on advance gueard which is about 20 rods from our camp we have about 210 pickits out about 1½ from camp and and 1 one company from each Regt besides which is 3 there was some excitement in our camp last night / falce alarm I will not tel you how scared I was but one thing certain I will not grow any more but as I wrote you a letter so lately I will come to a close soon but I must state the price of some thing here boots for instance they are only $20 dolars a pare in southern money and 10 in ours some cheaper and other things harmony with that pies for 20 cts and not very large and so on I can not mention all but will tell you the rest when we meet next if so be that we do I have often to think of that comeda about those blue stockings to warm my feet and that lovely knitter to cheer my hart probably never will but one thing certain I shal not forget that kind knitter this letter I intend to send by Dave Cummings as he is coming back to recruit soon. I hope this may find you enjoying the blessings of health lively spirits also yours with the gratest respects from your best friend and Lover and intended forever till death give my love to your folks and Love to your self so good by

 

write soon from your lover

From F Ashley

To C A Ewing

 

[top front margin pencil]

 

I do not expect that Dave will go back and I shal send this by mail in E E Ashleys letter

 

this is [faded over woodcut] relics of Halls Gap

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