Columbus June

19^th

 

Dear Johnnie

                   If you have not had any rain up in your part of the country, I advise you to come down here if you wish to enjoy some refreshing showers but I expect you have had more than you wanted and that the soldiers in the Army of Tenn. have suffered much inconvenience from the frequent rains we have been having. all military movements are at a stand still for the present I suppose as the roads are not in a condition for Sherman to make any more flank movements—and Genl / Johnson plans on [?] his. We have been looking very anxiously for the sun and have just gotten a glimpse of it for a few minutes, and now blue sky has also appeared. I trust it is the promise of bright weather for some time. I owe you quite a vote of thanks for your last favor, which I must compliment as being unusually interesting. I enjoyed the perusal of it very much and then sent it to Sister Liz to read as I knew she would like to hear from you, and would appreciate it as much as I did. In the last letter I got from her, she sent me one she had just received from Anola she does not speak of going to Brandon at all I suppose she cannot leave her Ma and she was right melancholy / I feel very deeply for your dear Ma it does seem that she has a [?] full of affliction I would it was in my power to help her hope she will soon be able to hear something definite of your Father Why did you not not say in your letter that Willie had gone out with you to join the Army? As you are on Gen. Cantey's Staff, what place did you get for him? You will have a much easier time as an Aide than as a Lieut on the line. but I thought you considered the latter a much more honorable position than the other. Am glad that you have thus far escaped unhurt and pray you may be ever so fortunate. of course I feel complimented that you should give me the preference as a nurse for you in case of your being wounded but I am afraid that you will / be compelled to accept some of the others that you are so fortunate as to have not that I made the offer and wish to retract but I am about to change my quarters to Brandon and I do not expect they would allow you to be coming there. Brother reached here a few days since, his wound is healing very fast indeed. he wishes to go to Miss and Ky & I have concluded to go with him if the weather is good we will start next Wednesday nothing preventing. my greatest want in leaving here is that I will not be able to care for you if you are wounded. But you must take care of yourself and I will commend you to the care of a merciful Providence. Brother made a very narrow escape indeed doubtless prayers saved him. he thinks so at any rate. You must write to me as often as you can. When I get to Brandon I do not know whether we will return here or not that depends on how long the war lasts We can not make plans far in the future Heard from Sis Jane not long since & Sis and Lou were well but [?] had both been very sick. they got along very well with the Yankees. she has some very accommodating boarders who are kind to them. Good bye Johnnie, now you [?] and do not forget that there is an Eternity to which which we all are drifting. Your Affectionate

Aunt Lou—

 

[front margin]

 

Ma and all join me in love to you—We have three disabled soldiers with us now. Brother & David J. Mix are wounded and Alex Morse reached here from the front this morning sick. I fear a good many will be sick from this damp spell of weather—

SOURCES