Camp Near Atlanta, Ga

August 17^th/64

 

Dear Mother

                        I have been sitting around and fussing most all day and I washed two shirts and I am lonesome to day most every day I go out into this country and get green corn and aples but to day I did not feel like going I am driving a team now that is when we march and when we are in camp then I have two horses to take care of I have been with the guns the most of the time I had about as live do one as another it is a grate deal easyer than Infantry Harry Hazell has got another detail he is clerk at / the Ordinance Office of the 2^nd Divi 15^th A.C. he has got a good thing if he onley keeps it I helped him to get in thare and he is goin to try and get me thare. thare is not much doing of bullets whare he will be. I heard yesterday that the rail road track was cut between here and Chattanooga if it is I do not know where we will get aney more letters I have not had but three letters from you since I left home

 

Aug 19^th 1864 I commenced this letter but did not finish you will see one reason be cause I know it would not go out and I thought you liked the latest news I heard this morning that the mail would not come untill day after tomorrow / when it comes then the mail will go out and not before the soldiers are all looking anxious for the mail to come in we have nothing to read at all I do wish you would send me some papers of some kind to read to pass away time with also I would like to have you send me some writing paper and envelops by mail send some that is one size smaller than fools cap and I do not care if you send some fools cap just such as you send that will be the size letters you get we are not whare we can get aney such thing now some times thare is some comes into camp that is verry poor at 50 cents a quire I / shall have to quit pretty soon for my paper will play out pretty soon I sent to Ohio for some about a month ago but I have not heard from them yet I sent one dollar I want some stamps to I suppose when we get through with this campaign we will get paid off I shall give my money to George Hawk for him to take home I gave him my watch the other day to take home when he goes he will not go untill the 31 of October he has been in three years now I have almost it will be the 23 of this month I think I am good for three years more if I have to stay I had a letter from Father a few days ago he sent me a copper head speach /

 

[overwritten]

 

Father does not like it much because I reenlisted he thinks this war will never end as long as Old Abe is President. I would like to talk to him awhile I have been out in the country to day about 10 miles after green corn I got a sack full & I was clear around on the right thare is a telegraph wire runing from one end of our lines to the other and it does not take long to send news from one end to the other we are expecting reinforcements every day and I guess by the time you get this we will have some thing more done our men cut this rail road for the Rebs a few days ago and they cut ours to but I guess they have got it fixed again if they have then we will get some more mail. How is all the folks now days I am verry anxious to get some letters I will send you a letter that I got from a girl in / Memphis she wrote to me a few days ago the last letter I got was from Julia Bradley that was about five days ago I guess I will save this letter untill tomorrow and perhaps then I will get some letters

 

Aug 21 I will finish this now I have just received a letter from you dated July 12 it must of been Aug 12 I got five letters to day I do not know as Aeta cares aney thing for me or not but I should think she did by the way she wrote the next letter I write to her I will ask her about that likeness I believe I will send her letter in the place of I do shell I got a letter paper from you to day I guess I will not write aney more this time thare was four stamps in this letter that I got from you no more now from your son

 

John D Beach

Battery A 1^st Ill Art

1^st Brig 2^nd Divi

 

Do not for aney thing let Aeta know that I send her letters home Col Long[?] came to the Regt yesterday

J.D.B.

 

[side margin]

 

I did not receive

that letter with

the money in

yet it must

be lost I guess

SOURCES