Nashvill Tenn April 24 1863

 

                                                                                    Dear Brother

                                                                                                            as it is raining to day and not having any thing to do I wil drop you a line my health has got prety good now I hope it will continue so I should have gone to the front befrore now but the doctor will not let me go he is a first rate doctor and a fine man his name is Stevens the duty I have to do is very light I have a much easer time than I should at the front our army has comenced to ad vance so I hear the report is that there is a batle going on near franklin to day all the priseners we take show that the South is giting very destitute of every thing at the longest I dont think the rebils can hold out more than one year more I sent you a nashvill union this morning you will see the order published in it requireing the people here to take the oath I was at the state house yesterday I saw a number of sesesh buties come out with tears in their eys they could not give the requird/ bond and their Smiles and curles will help them no longer they find they have sined out the day of grase they find the provost marshal of this town a prety hard coustimer to deal with when ever you read an acount of the capture of noted bush whakers beeing capturd and then making their escape you can calcilate the only weigh they have got a weigh is by climbing climeing a rope there has been several such cases here the puyblick generaly think it is as the paper states but you inquire into it of any one that knows and you will find out they have been strung up it is wright to I say I wish you was here some fine day I should like to take you around this town to see the diferent forts and earth works that have been built here with in the last year it is very strongly fortified on all sides the military athorities have been presing a good many horses into servise here latly some rebil to retaliate on them the other night sat a goverment stable on fire and burned up 65 mules and horses and the wagons they were used in he had better not let them catch him do you know Ira I think it is very/ strange that you are not maried yet What in the world is the reason not becaus you are not old enough I am shure there is going to bee a very hard batle in tennissee prety soon the longer it is put ofh the harder it will bee when it comes we may expect it to comence at any our for when two armies are laying faseing each other the pickets will some times comence skirmishing and bring on a general engagement When neither army had any expectations of a fight that day the athorities are taking all the vagrant negrose about here and puting them to work on farmes around here to raise vegtibles for the hospitals it will be a fine thing for the sick soldiers I do not think of any thing to write to more to write now let me hear from you as often as convenient &c

                                                                                                            George Colby

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