Fo        Nashville Tennessee July the 16^th 1862

Thursday        

           

Dear Friends

Yiet at Nashville not much hopes of getting away yiet as we are a having some trouble at Murphy's Burrow about 30 ms from here on the railroad which we wil have to go the Sesesh has taken the town & all the troops that were stationed there with the exception of a few that escaped it is reported here to day that the town is retaken wheather true or not is more than I can say as reports are pleanty Our men had a severe fight the Officers got scared & surrendered Brave men I think they must be as they would not gave up so easy they are the bravest set of people here that I ever saw the Officers of our camp got scared & with all the men that they could get to follow ran for the town I told them as they asked me to go if they were fools to go along as I was agoing to stay & so I did not sorry for doing so eather whilst the boys that went had to lay out in the hot sun I have a good shade to stay in. They have got the town guarded on all qt^s especting an atact but I think they wil have to wate a spel first before it happens no sesesh are agoing to be fools enough to attempt such / a thing. 3 thousand men could not do much with the force that we have here if they do come they will have to come by the camp that I am in but I am not afraid of enny one a coming I have been among Sesesh to much to be fooled when I understand the nature of the country it seems rather lonesome to me and I have nothing to do but occasional guard & this goes rather hard with me as I am not verry wel I should say not verry strong I feel middling wel not as wel as I should like to feel the Colon^l sent out some men to stay & guard the camp from Cittizans to keep them from carrying off the things which is left here

 

            If I was in good health I think that I could enjoy myself verry wel here as peaches are a geting ripe also apples pares & plumbs every thing of the kind is pleanty harvest is over & people are a mowing the grass. Weather is verry warm as you are wel aware My messmate & I just came in from blackberrying we got all we wanted & milked a neighbors cow so we had a verry good dinner we live pretty wel here to what we do in camp as we can run around as we please & if there is enny thing to get we can get it I would like to hear the news from Richmond I would like to know how they are a geting along or what they are a doing it [faded] progress they have in that part I would like to hear of [faded] & that soon as possible I think that if the Officers / did not recieve quite so large a salary they would progress faster may be that I am mistaken I hardly know what to say to you about sending letters to you but I guess that you had better direct to the Regt as I shal go there sometime if nothing happens & if not they will be safe there so write soon as you recieve this I want all the particulars & especially about Francis

                                                           

Respectfully Yours     Wm H Peck

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