Nashville, Tenn.            Novr 26^th 1862

 

My dear brother/

                        The great item on every body’s mind in our camp this morning, is the death of Lewis Williams; he died at 3 o’c. this morning, after suffering most terribly from brain fever; he had not a moments reprieve of & died unconscious;—the burden & stretch of mind, required in that business, was too great on his unevenly balanced mind & he fell a victim to it.—Capt. Douglass & Gard. Allen have gone to town to arrange about coffins & I think their intention is to send the corpse home.—The first train from Louisville arrived here Monday evening, & a salute of guns honored the occasion.—

 

Through the assistance of Capt. Cosper & Douglass I have obtained a clerkship at the Provost Marshall General’s office, which is on Genl Rosecrans staff. My pay will at first be no more, than I now get, but you can readily see, that my opportunity for advancement is good; the detail, ordering me there has not come over yet, as I asked a day, awaiting the arrival of our Regt; old Marsh is getting so sour, that, he does nothing, but find fault & has acted very mean towards me;—I am glad to get away from him.

 

            I shall not mail this letter, until I can tell you positively, that I have made the change.—If I felt as sure of getting safely through this war & return home in good health, as I feel, that you will ride through all the hard times & come out O.K., I could rest easy; with so little debt on your hand & with goods, bought cheap, rising on your hands, you cannot help but make your expenses and that is more, very many can say.

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