Chatinuga Tennessee

November the 3^rd 1863

           

Dear Brother & Sister

             I recieved a letter from each of you yesterday and having a fiew leisure moments to spair this eavening I thought that I would write you a short epistle to let you know that I am in good health at preasant & to let you know where we had got to. I would have wrote to you sooner but we have bin marching for some time and I have not had any chance to write Well we have got to the front at last The Boys are all well and in good spirits. We are camped 5 miles from Chatinooga we are / in plain view of the enamys camp. They are on look out mountain and we are camped on the north of it. They ocupy one mountain top and we ocupy the other. we are fortifying day and night. There is some calculations of a fight by some and some thinks they are retreating. I think my self that they are falling back for they have bin throwing shells for 3 or 4 days trying to shell our camp but it is too far they cant do no damage I think they are shelling us to make us believe that they are going to fight while they are getting away Well I believe that I have wrote all for the preasant so hoping to hear from you in du season I remain / your tru friend and well wisher Give my love to my Parents and the rest of the folks at home                                                                                                                         

Yours truly

Solomon F. Wood

 

To Miss Mollie & J. A. Wood

You must not think hard of me for not writing more for I have not got time at preasant as soon as I get time I will write more S. F. Wood

 

[verso]

 

I will send you some muscadine grape seed. They grow in the mountains hear they are about as large as tame grapes but the skin is thicker and not quite so swet so no more at preas

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