No. 72.                                                                                               

Camped near Atlanta

August 7^th /64

 

Dear Mollie               

I received your letter of the 22 yesterday, No. 65. your letters come here regular now & I hope they will continue for the time seems much shorter than it does when I am disapointed in my mail. well Mary we are again in front in our fortifications. we are about two miles from atlanta. the rebs are in our front yet. they say they are bound to hold the place at all hasards but old Sherman will get them out after a while. he is working slow but on the safe side. he is going round to our right to cut their last railroad. our lines are within one mile of it now. the cars do not run in daylight for we can shell them / from our forts. I wrote to John day before yesterday. I wrote to him before we left wood ville but have not heard from him yet. I think it is strange that he dont write to me. one of our boys got a Tipton advertiser the other day & in it I notised the tax sale. all taxes for 63 not paid before the first day of October next the land will be sold for the same. I found ours thare with the rest. I thought the last years taxes had been paid but it seems not. it is between four & five dollars. I wrote to John to pay it & I would send him the money as soon as we were paid. I am glad to hear that the children grow so fast. I dont supose that I will hardly know them in one year more for children grow a greadeal in three years. one year from this time we will think of going home. I consider our time commenced from the date of inlistment. some say our time / will not be out until the 13 of October when we were mustered for pay. we drew pay rations & clothing from the date of enlistment & our time commences from that date. I wrote to you in my last letter about going east, so thare is no use of writing again. well Mary you have answered the question I asked you long ago, you have answered it in a strange way, the same as you did when I enlisted, you give me no satisfaction you tell me to do as I think best & then I cannot blame you. that is very true, but I like to have you give your opinion, just as you feel about it & that you have not done. I know you dont want me to reinlist & for that reason I asked you the question, nor will I I would not reinlist for eny money, as you say when a man of a family has served three years he has done his duty. let some other try it in his place, thare are / thousands that can leave home as well as I did & I hope the draft will be inforced as soon as the time comes for it.  they will lay back & talk about it & tell what we done & have never heard a cannon, let them come to the front when the artilery is all opened on both sides. they will will think their days are numbered. you spoke about Mothers being thare with you to supper I am glad to hear it. I am glad to hear that you are all able to eat your regular rations & I hope you have a plenty of it. I would like to have a letter from Mother but I know it is a task for her to write. thare are boys anough to write for her if they had a mind to, but I supose they dont care much about me. well if they dont I hope they will have respect anough for my mother to use her well. she is getting old & they cant expect her to stay with them many years longer, & thare is Mary her her only help I hope she will not forget her mother I hope she is well thought of & goes in good company

 

[margins]

 

& not too much for it will ingure eny girls caracter to be always going. I say this for her good & I hope she will not be offended about it.

 

I am well as common & may this find you all well. the Orderly of Co. C. was killed a fiew minets ago by a stray ball from the rebs. no more this time To Mollie C Shibly From O Shibly

 

when you write tell me all that is going on at home & around. good by

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