Camp 69^th Ohio Vol Infty.

Tuesday Afternoon.

                                                Sep^t 15^th 1863.

 

Dear Wife.

                        I seat my self this afternoon to reply to your much welcomed letter which I received while on my march threw Dixieland. we left Cowen this day one weak a go and have bin on the march ever since we clum the big mountain on tuesday and wednesday. we had a long and hard march of it. the distants was a bout 64 mils and of all the Dust I never saw before in all my life. along the road it looked like as if it had snowed. the booshes was just white with dust we had a big train of amonition to guard threw from Cowen to Brigport Ala the train contained of 7 hundred wagons all loaded with Amonition going to the frunt. the train was a bout 10 mils long we crost the Tennessee River. Fryday Evening we left the train at Brigport Alabama and the next morning we left Brigport and marched/ to Shellmouth, and Sunday we left their and marched within 4 mils of Chatanooga and it was nearly dark when we was ordered to choak a little supper and we thot we would have a good nights rest and in a bout a half ower after we had gon to ower rest thinking to have a good nights rest the orders came then a bout 9 Oclock to to march in an owers notice and we was up and redy to march by 10 Oclock as was ordered and we started and left for Chatanooga a bout 11 Oclock and we had a verry larg mountain to clime a gain a bout 2 mils high what is called lookout Mountain. we came over this in the dead ower of the night and reached Chatanooga a bout 12 or 1 Oclock and we retired then for the night. and in the morning we marched threw the borders of the townn and marched 5 mils South of the plase at a verry larg Spring and their we camped and hear we ar at this presant time but how long we may stay hear is unknowen to us. we ar in Georgy now we marched threw Alabama and struck Tennessee a gain and then marched out of Tennessee a gain into Georgy and so we ar hear and what ower intentions is to do I cannot tell. we have not got to ower/ Brigade yet. we cant get to it now. it is so far in the frunt that it is impossible for us to get to it now. we are temoarly put in another brigade till we get an opertonity of getting to ower former Brigade we was put on three Quarters reations this morning as we have no cars running to this plase yet and I expect it will be some time yet two. we have all of ower reations to hall from Brigport a distance of a bout 25 mils or more and roads verry bad two and we hafto make ower reations last as long as possible till this fight is over. as for my self my dear wife I am as well and harty as the day I left Cowen with the acceptions of a little Soarness caused from ower long and tiresome march. I hope when this reaches you it may find you well as you stated in your letter that you feared you was going to have a spell of sickness a gain. I hope not I would of answered your letter before this but we was on the march all the time and I hadant time to do enny thing Well I have give you all the perticalers of the march and the rest of the news the papers give you. so its not worth while mentioning enny thing of/

 

                        the fight and the moovements of Burnside and Rosecrans for the papers give you the news nearder than the I could tell you, so I must hasten to a close for we hafto clean up for inspection at 4 Oclock. Well, I hope when this reaches you it may find you well and engoying good health as your husband is at presant So after wishing you much Joy and happy Dreams and I will close still remaining your true Husband

                                                                                    Emanuel Cave

 

                                                            to his Dear absent Wife

                                                                                    good night

                                                I send you a kiss in reply

 

                                    When you Direct, Direct as you

                                    allwais did, onley to Chattanooga

                                                                        Tennessee

                                                                        to follow the

                                                                        Regiment.

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