Decatur Alabama

                                                                                                            May 6^th 1864.

 

            My Dear Fannie

                                                I have been loafing about my tent for the past two or three days, just sick enough to keep me off duty, and feeling to miserable to even write a letter to my friends but I am better to-day and will probably be all right before long I am having the Mumps I took them I suppose from Capt Meade who had them a short time ago. I laughed at him a good deal when he had them, and now I suppose I am getting my pay.

 

            We are having very comfortable and quite easy times. we have a plenty of work to do on the Fortifications which we are building and which are quite extensive. the main Fort I should think encloses about seven acres of ground, and then we have outer lines of defense consisting of Rifle-pits running around and at about equal distances from the Fort, giving us a very strong position and one that we could defend ourselves against / three times our number. we have but a small force here now. the most of our troops have gone to Chatanooga and the report here to day is that they are fighting there I guess that Genl Sherman will be enough for them.

 

            The enemy generally keep our Picket guard amused by fighting them almost every night. last night they commenced firing on the Picket about nine oclock and kept it up all night. I have not heard that there was any one hurt. the other day they opened on the reserve with three pieces of artilery, but after a few rounds the boys made it rather to warm for them and they left. Deserters from the enemy and Refugees are coming into our lines almost every day in squads. this morning there was a squad of about eighty came in and gave themselves up. according to this rate the enemy are loosing more by Desertion than by war. it must be very discourageing to them. their armies are small enough now, and they have already got every man and boy in the service that is capable of carying a gun. I tell you Fannie it is really distressing to see some of these refugees that come within our lines. God forbid that any of my friends be by the chances of war, or by any other misfortune reduced to such circumstances. You at the / North have a very faint idea of the amount of misery and suffering there is here at the south. whole families or rather squads of women and children can almost ever day be seen comeing into town generally leading a pair of old cattle so poor that it would take a dozen to make a shadow and generally drawing an old waggon containing what few old clothes they have left. some of them are not so fortunate as that even, having no old clothes and consequently about half naked. They are all anxious to get on the north side of the River where they consider themselves safe. I had been across the River a few days ago fishing and as I was comeing back I met at the north end of the Bridge a squad of refugees there was three or four women and about fifteen children their husbands who had escaped from the Rebs were there waiting them. it was enough to move the hardest heart to see them meet. they had lost every thing they had, and were thrown on the cold charities of the world and in a country torn by civil war. and where self preservation is the first law of nature, every one looking out for number one. but Uncle Sam true to his nature here as every where, cannot see suffering without trying to aleviate it. rations are frequently issued to the refugees who would starve without them. this country now produces nothing and is / overrun by large armies which take generally what the inhabitants had left to them.

 

            Fannie if you chance to come down this way in the course of a month or two you must give us a call, if for nothing else than to see our house. Lieut Wells and myself after we found out that we were going to stay here for a while, went to work and have built us a nice little house. it is twelve feet by sixteen, with two windows and two doors we have got it all completed but putting on the roof it will be very cool and comfortable I guess when it is done. we are going to have an awning in front so that we can set in the shade and take our royal comfort. but Fannie I see that my sheet is nearley filled and that I must close. dont you think I have written a pretty long letter for a sick man? Glen- is well and would send his respects if here but he is on Picket so I will enclose them any-way. please give my best regards to all your people & believe me with much love as ever

                                                                                                            Yours

                                                                                                                        Frank

 

P. S. I am going to have some bread

            and milk for supper, a great rareity

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