Camp Near Ackworth

                                                                                                Georgia June the 12^th 1864

 

Dear friend

yours of the 1^st inst came to hand last evening and I was verry glad to here from you agane but but I accknowledge that I did not deserve the kindness Shown me for never answering your other letter whitch I got last fall I received your letter Just before the Battle of Chickamauga and I did not have any chance to answer it then and after the Battle we wer Sent about 20 Miles up the Tenn River to guard a ford on the river and we did not then have any chance to Send of letters and So it run a long from one time to an other but all this no reson why I Should not answer it because I m aught to have answered it as Soon as I could but all that I can do is to ask you to/forget and forgive this offense and I will try and do better after this; you Spoke about not being able to here the war news it is alltogather different with me down here we have herd and Seen all the war news we care about have herd it whistling about our ears evry day for over a month we left Cleveland on the 2^nd day of May and Marched on about 20 Miles and found the rebs evry day Since then we have herd and Seen war news all we want of it but we have been able to make them give way and leve one line after another till now they ar within Some 30 Miles of atalanta we have drove them over about 100 Miles of a rough hilley and thickly woodded Country most of the way it was fortified in the Strongest mannor but the Superior numbers of our army enables us us to flank them out of there Strong holds all the time pressing them back to atalanta they all think thay ar whiped but Still they keep on fighting there is lots of them coming over to our lines/evry time they get an oppertunity they Say they ar verry closely watched to prevent them Deserting and it is there out best troops they dar put on duty or on picket the people have all left and gon of with the army Some of them evening leaveing all there things in there houses except what they could carry with them there is noboddy lift but Some of the poorest famillyes and Some of the Old Negroes that ar to old to be of any value to ther owners our army takes a Strip of Country about 25 Miles in in width and evry thing in this Bredth is destroyed evry thing is tore up Side down the fenceses ar all burnt or taken to build Brest works Orcherds ar cut down to clear ranges for artillery houses ar torn down to build Shelters by the Soldiers wheat fields and evry thing els is eaten up by the horses and Mules and the Country is dug up and banked up in evry Shape you have no Idea of the callamitys of war but they have done It all them Selves and So they must put up with it/

 

the Boys ar all well that you know Marvin Crager has been to be a Lieut and is now Commanding Company H he will go home as soon as the regt gets back he wanted to get there by the 4^th but I think he will hardly do it Most all the boys seams to be geting home but Me but I think next winter I will try and get home but I Shall not whine if I do not get to go till my time is out I have been verry lonesome Since the Boys went home but we expect them back in afiew days Shall be glad when they get here agane.

 

            Pleas excuse this Short letter and when I get in to camp I will try and do better then I am Sending a letter to Martha in the Same Male that takes this  So good By at present

                                    from your friend and wellwisher

                                                            John Wasson

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