[Letterhead: Head-quarters, Department of the Cumberland,

Office Provost Marshal General.]

                                                                                                Nashville, Decr 28^th [186] 3

 

Dear brother/

                        Yours of the 20^th & 23^d inst., are at hand.—Uncle William’s letter (dated the 15^th) is of a kind, calm, moderate tone,—softened, as it naturally would be, on the day previous to Emily’s nuptials.—Whatever fault he found with my enlistning, he now is anxious to hear from me, “that I keep up good spirits like a man”.—You were rather fast in writing to mother,—but let it pass;—it will all work out right, without a farther correspondence about it; I find, I gain nothing by it.—Capt. Brazee has resigned & will go home in a day or two.—The 74^th is at Knoxville & will likely remain there all winter or march into Virginia or North Carolina. I shall now seldom see any one from Rockford.—The “Registers” come, if they are a week or ten days on the way. I got the 19^th this morning.—Your holyday advertisement is very modest;—I am glad you are doing well, I assure you & hope your sales have more than doubled at Christmas time.—Cosper (the snake eyed cuss) never has or ever will handle money enough, to hire me to go/with him;—I thought that, before you saw him. I am sorry, you asked him any such question.—I am informed from Chattanooga, that my detail to the Quarter Master’s Office, was made out.—I look for it daily.—What the gain to me will be, is a thing of the future.—Brazee can tell you of my prospects probably better, than I can;—he talked with Capt. Isom about me,—what about, I did not ask.—

 

                                    Love to Lona & a renewal of my best wishes for the New Year.—

                                                            Your’s affectionately

                                                                                                Edward.—

 

Hold on to the clerk you have and make it his desire, to stay with you, don’t allow yourself to be without help again.—

 

All I should write to Uncle Augustus, would not be worthwhile to commence a letter about;—he hears through you, all that is necessary;—any further information desired, he can write to me for.—

SOURCES