June 7th /64
Camped in the field
Acworth, Ga.
No 65.
Dear Mollie
I received your a letter from you last night writen may 26, no. 60, thare are 2 of your letters missing, No 57 & 59. I think I will get them yet. I dont no as thare is much use of writing at preasent I was told that no mail was alowed to go north of Nashville, but I concluded to write & let it go as far as it would & perhaps you would get it some time. we came here yesterday. we have been fighting old Johnson for ten days, have drove him from the best & strongest position he can find in this state. he was on the altona hights, he is falling back to atlanta & our forces are close after him. I think we will trap him after a while. he is trying to cross the chateehootee river / I think he will try to stop us from crossing the river it is within 7 miles of atlanta. I think we will have a fight but we are bound to have atlanta before we stop many days. well thare is no use of writing about our fighting, you will hear it before you can get a letter from me. we have lost over 20 from our regiment killed & wounded & prisoners. I wrote to you the 20 & 29. your mail will come through as fast as we have transpertation. I saw Dow a fiew days ago he is well, he said he had writen to mother. I will see him to day if I can. you must not trouble your mind about me. I will take care of my self & others must do the same. you say Chauncey got home. I think he got anough of the service in a short time, but he was lucky in geting geting out when he did, for we are having very warm weather here now / I am very glad to hear that James is geting better I was afraid he would not get well for that is a very hard disease. you spoke about my cousin Anna being thare on a viset. I dont no of any such cousin in wisconsin & yet it may be, for thare are a great many changes in this world at preasent. you spoke about your sending that drum head you had better keep it until we get in to camp again. I think it will be a month or more. I dont expect eny pay until this springs campain is over & then we will get 4 months pay you must get along the best you can & I will send you forty or fifty dollars as soon as we get pay. Dow was telling me that Alfred talked of coming down here for his health. I think this is a bad country to improve ones health. it is to hot & sultry for week-lings. / I have heard a greadeal said about Georgia being a fine country. if it is I have not seen it. it is a very rough mountainous country. it may be better further south. I hope it is for then we will have more chance to forage. the people here are hard up for something to eat. the rebs take all they can & we take what we want if we can find it for some times we get rather short of grub & then the hogs sheep catle & fowls corn meal if we can find it must suffer, for we are bound to live get it as we may. our company is in good health except 2 or 3 Vroomans health is some better than it has been. Landon is well as usual he has the ague some times. I have had the ague twice since we started on the march. I am well at preasent & may this find you all in good health. so no more this time
from yours as ever, to Mollie C Shibly From O Shibly, good by
[margins]
you must excuse bad writing & spelling for I have writen this on my knee siting on the ground. my paper is very poor & rather dirty at that. it is some that I borowed
I had plenty of paper & envelops when I started but have lost my napsack & all that was in it. I have one satisfaction, I dont have it to pack.