Nashville

                                                                                                            Jan 17^th 1863

 

                                                                                                                        Dear Sister

                        I take this oportunity to inform you that I am well and hope these few lines will find you the same I received your letter day before yesterday and was glad to hear from you I had thought you had forgoten me all together but I am glad to know that I am not quite forgotten yet. Well Sarah we have quite a good time here this winter we are a doing Garison duty in the city and we are quartered in a brick house which is very comfortable Just now for we have had two or three days pretty cold wether for this place it comenced to rain last Tuesday/ morning and it rained with out ceasing for 48 hours it then comenced to snow and get cold now it is clear and cold with about 4 inches of snow on the ground. we have had some of the nicest wether here I ever saw at this time of year. I stood guard last Wednesday night and Thursday in the rain and snow and I tell you I dont want to do it over again. you say Jimmy dont get anything to eat but crackers beans and coffee. well that is soldiers fare all over I guess or at least that is all that we get except meat we generaly have some bacon or beaf. sometimes we dont have much of any thing we have lived on half ratuns ever since we have been in Nashville and some times we dont get that. I have/ bought six or seven dollars worth of provision princeipaly bread. I know it is not very profitably nor saving but I must and will eat as long I can get it. I think we will do better now for the river is up now high enough for the boats to run. I am not sick of soldering yet for it is about lazy enough business to suit me I suppose you know work and I never got along very well together all we have to do now is to stand guard every fifth night and drill when it is good wether. you must try and get along the best you can till Jimmy gets back the nine monthes will soon be over so take courage and do the best you can I suppose you have heard about the battle of murfreesboro it lasted/ five days. we could hear the big guns plain from here the battle was some fifteen miles from here we expected to be ordered to the front every day but as good luck would have it we dident need to go you must tell Jimmy to write to me and I will try and write to him some of these fine days. well I must come to a close for I must write to dan this afternoon. I received two letters from Mag the same day I got yours and I have not answered them yet. give my respects to all enquiring friends and keep a whole gob for yourself from your Brother A Dickson

 

            direct to Nashville Tenn

write soon                   Battery I 2^d Ill regt

and tell                        Light Artillery

me all the                    care of Capt Barnett

news

 

[top margin] I am very much obliged to you for the stamp although I have plenty of them now

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