Camp 13^th N.H. Vol^s

Near Chaffins Farm V^a.

Dec. 18^th 1864

 

Dear Ari:

                        I received your letter of the 11^th in^st. day-before yesterday. I had to wait a week for it though, you seem to think that a week is a long time to wait for a letter, it dose seem a good while, dont it Ari.

 

            I began to write this letter more then two hours ago but have been so much engaged in giving three rousing cheers for Gen. Thomas Army that I could not stop to write. Oh! Ari we have had glorious news this afternoon from away down south "in Dixe", the rebel Gen. Hood and our Gen Thomas have had a fight at Nashville Tenn. and Gen Thomas did give him fitts. he has compleetly cleaned him out I guess. I have not the particulars. it was a dispatch from Gen. Grant to be read to the Army / of the James. the Dispatch says by the help of God and our brave boys we have whiped Hood and captured all of his men and guns. I hope so dont you Ari, and such cheering as there has been this afternoon in the Army of the James I never did (see) hear. the second Brigade had out a drum Corps of more then 25 drummers all playing at once. what do you suppose that John thought of our cheering. I mean Johnney reb. the rebs have not advanced on us at this point yet. nor I dont think thay will either, but we had to turn out at 5 oclock every morning under arms. but if thay should come down on us we would give some of them the Belley ache before thay could get this line, I reckon. well I dont suppose you want to hear so much about fighting and war now days do you Ari. well, if you dont like it you must tell me. I always write about that that most interests me, and one thing is the good success of / our Armys. oh my Ari. the band is playing Yankey doodle. Sunday night, naughty boy, by the way, my Capt. is going home on a furlough. he will start Tuesday morn and be gone 20 days. he wants me to tell you to call and see him if you go to Portsmouth. he lives on Chapel Hill, right opposit the St. Johns Church (thats all) I have been looking for that tobacco a great while Ari that you were going to send me. I should think you might send a little, once and a while by mail. you said that you would send me any-thing that I wanted, so I told you that I would like some tobacco, but I have not seen any since last summer that came from home. I have not got any mony to pay for haveing my close washed, we have to get somebody to do our washing for we have to have them boiled to keep the lice of off us (it so) I dont think that I have been very hard on you for mony since I have been out here / some of the boys are all the time sending home for mony. we expect to get paid of about the middle of January if I could get a two cent piece once and while I should like it untill after I get paid. I dont like to get trusted out here, if I could help it. Is that a fact that John Lears calf is dead. ask Atwell what ailed it, did it fall into the ditch (hay) well Ari it is roll call and I will lay this aside for to night. Lottie says that you enjoy yourself finely since you have become a Christian, and I dont suppose you will worry so much about me now. I hope not at any-rate.

 

Monday morning Dec 19^th after I went to bed last night and had got almost asleep Ben come in and says, Steve, turn out here quick lively. "I thought Johnney reb was coming." I have got a letter for you from Ari. he knows your hand writing. I reckon I did turn out lively (more paper) / the letter was wrote on the 14^th of Dec. I was glad to hear that you were getting along so finely. you say that you have got your State aid and that you are going to put it in the bank. if you get this letter befor you put it in the bank I should like to have you keep it the mony with you untill you hear from me again. if you will, perhaps I shall want to get some mony by and by. I aint going to desert, oh no, but you know, the Capt wants us to dress pretty well. I am going to send home by the Capt. to get me some stripes and the like. now dont get excited Ari and think that I am coming home on a furlough. no no, but the Capt. said after he getts back from his furlough that he is going to give some of his Company a furlough. who he means to give them to I dont know, but he looked at Ben and somebody else kinder cross eyed. but enough of this / Ari. it aint very often that I am glad to hear that any one is dead but I have heard of the death of a man this morning if it is true "and I hope it is" that I was glad to hear of. I hope he is dead and gone to Heaven, but I think it is mighty doubtful about his going to heaven if he is dead. we have no reason to doubt but what he has gone to his long home. I will tell you who it is and how we heard of his being dead. there was a deserter come into our lines last night and he says that old Jeff Davis is dead, he is dead and I am so glad he is dead. he said that he had three or four Doc with him but thay could not save him. I dont know what caused his death but I guess he had the Blues, what do you think about it Ari. (hay) I guess you wont think that I have got the blues, when you read this foolish letter. you wanted to know if I was glad that you had become a Christian / I think I answered that question in my other letter to your satisfaction. then you cant spare Mr Ridlon. it seems you think that we can go without a Chaplin. well I suppose we shall have to whether we want to or not. Oh! Ari how big is Elmers finger, the one that he would wear a ring on if he had one. Give my love to him and tell him papa will be at home in just 9 months from tomorrow.

 

well I dont know as I have anything more to write now. if I have I will write it next time. Give my love to Lottie and tell her that she shall get a line from her rattle headed Brother. there Ari its no use. I cant write a long faced letter, and if you dont like them you munt not read them. Give my regards to all the folks. Good day &c. From your affectionate Husband in the Army of the James

Serg^t S. B. Tarlton /

 

P.S. I am going to send you my Serg^ts warant to day. please to take good care of it, for I may have to send for it sometime

 

thats all.                                                                     

S.B.T.

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