Near Tuscumbia. Ala

                                                                                                Wednesday Nov 8 or 9 1864

 

My Dear Mother & Father

                                    You will see that we havent moved in eight or nine days. we are still on the Tenn River where we have been resting after a long & circuitous rout to this place having marched about four hundred miles over mountains & most of the way a wilderness country. I didnt dream of such a country in N Ala but thought it all densely inhabited & highly refined, but found half at least of the people uneducated & poor. still the latter part of our march was through a very rich & once highly cutivated tract. this latter section we found devastated houses burned & inhabitants generally refuged. it made my heart sad to see the wanton destruction of large & beautiful farms. but such as are the consequences of war, well put at the head of calamities which befall a people. We have and are still having bad weather not cold, but rainy and today as windy as you ever saw March, with prospect of more rain. Yesterday the day for the election North was a gloomy looking day & I hope will prove a true omen of the North’s future in this unholy war. Some of the Army are anxious that M^clellan be elected. as for my part I cant see that it will be better for us than if Lincoln should be elected, but the die is cast & time will reveal the consequences. I guess you have heard before this of Fo[?] achievements of the Tenn having sunk three Gunboats eleven transports and fifteen barges with large Am^t of stores. he seems to be the most successful chief in this dept & the yanks dread him much. We are expecting to cross the river daily. some think we will soon have a bloody fight, others that we will take up winter qrs, but all is conjecture. our pontoons are across the River & some of the Army has crossed. Our rations are scanty though we make out on them. Some things in Country to sell for yankee greenbacks or gold or bank notes, they have no use for confederate money, as it does not answer their purpose of trading with yanks. I have only $1.50 of money though we/ to be paid off in a few days or weeks. I see Col Mitchell & Billy Reynolds every day or two, they are well. John Pringle was mortally wounded & died at Decatur. he was a good soldier and in fine health when shot. Said his trust was in God & wasnt afraid to die. I have been troubled with cold & my bowels but am tolerable otherwise & stood the march very well. My dear Parents I hope you are all very well & that we may all meet again on earth, if not may we all be faithful and realize and realize the exceeding great & precious promises of the Bible which is my strong & consoling hope at all times. We have need of much prayer in these days of darkness & trial, but He has said my grace shall be sufficient for you. I only hear from home through Annie & her Pa who has written to me twice & why does not Sis & Annabella write to me it would cost them very little trouble to write to me once a week, and afford me so much pleasure, but because I dont write to them frequently they are ceremonious! this ought not to be. (Tis blowing a perfect gale now & raining & I am under my good blanket, striveing to keep dry. Oh! that I could be with you all today under my comfortable roof & take a good dinner at home have Charlie & Mary in my lap but that would be too much happiness for a poor soldier, but the good soldier will realize that & more than that. I hope you have all made and gathered a fine crop of everything & have plenty of fine hogs and good sugar cane potatoes &^c & that I may yet enjoy some of them. I dont hear any thing from Sister & Children hope they are quite well how does Aunt Polly & Grany Peggy come on, do you all get any fish, guess [blurred] wild oats are plenty & in the lake ducks to honk all the neighbours. You can all write as often as you please the letters will find their way after awhile. The rain has slacked & the wind is settling to the west. My dear parents I must close be faithful to God Kiss my dear little ones & give my love to all accept the same of Your Affect Son Jno H

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