July the 7 1864

near chattahoocha river Georgia

 

Dear Wife I am in receipt of yours of the 22^nd of June just came to hand this leaves me well & hoping these lines will find you all well I was sorry to learn that you were about to fail to raise any produce but misfortunes will happen to the best of families well Dear Wife we have routed the rebs from Kennesaw mountain & they have fell back to their works at the river & if they dont watch we will play another Yankee trick on them here we are not pressing them very hard to day they have a good portion of their forces a cross the river but they are some what hindered from crossing the balance it is generally believed that this is the last stand they will make this side of Atlanta we are now within ten miles of atlanta & from a hight near where I write with a Spie glass we can see the citty /

 

the 3 of July in the morning when we arose in the morning the rebs were gone from Kennesaw we marched forth with right on their heels & picked up straggling rebs by hundreds our division marched in to Marietta & camped all night on the 4^th we shivareed what few citizens that remained in the town with all the old drums we could rais as we marched through then we had a hot march we left there about 10 A M & marched 10 miles in 3 or 4 hours O but it was hot we have been marching some ever day since & we dont know one hour where we will be the next we are now a bout 2 miles from the river & a bout 3 miles south of the rail road there is skirmishing going on all the time but no engagement for 2 or 3 days as I know of I think we will be in Atlanta before long but I dont exactly know what time & when we get that place that is the all important point it is almost of as mutch importance to the rebs as Richmond so they say / we have men enough to take it but it may take some time yet we have a mutch larger Army here than we had at Vicksburg but so have the rebs. well Turzah I have been on the skirmish line 7 or 8 days since I came back but I havent been in but one ingagement & that dident last but a few minutes & but few got hurt. our army has got so used to fighting they go at it like gong to breakfast. my health is pretty good now I have just had a mess of greens for dinner & have enough left for supper & I had a mess of green apples for breakfast it dont bother me any now what I will have tomorrow for I let ever day provide for its selfe yes I will have some young potatoes for supper one fellow has the potatoes & I am to furnish bacon to season them for a share you talk about the mulbery pie & I will tell about the potatoes & greens I have had several messes of blackberries & peaches will soon be ripe enough to cook there is agoing to be a good many peaches in this country /

 

this is a poor rocky rough country but well supplyed with good springs mostly poor people those that were rich before the war are poor now Marietta is a nice place quite a citty for a few miles around it is a good country. there is many circumstances I have saw I could write you but I am too lazy this evening Sherrill is well & is yet cooking I receved a letter from mary to day & so did Sherrill & one from his wife & from it we learned the feds were again scouting that country & we know by that that freemen is entirely gone from there. So I will close remaining as ever your affectionate

husband                                                                       Josiah Bradford

 

to America, Mary said you cried because the rebs taken your dress if I had been in your place I wouldent cry if they take every doll rag I had            J B

 

PS back your letters to the 1^st division 15^th AC & not the 3^rd as you did this last one

                                                                                                                                    J B /

 

 

[Note]

that your letters might not come and that is the proper way to back them any how I dont know of mutch else to write this time as I havent been here long enough to learn mutch if we stay here long I will write quite often and I think our letters will go quicker for it is 2 or 3 hundred miles nigher home than where we were Crows boys said they had got letters here from Rolla in four days I think this is mutch healthyer place than a bout vicksburg but I dont think that this is a healthy country the water is not good it is clear running / but it tastes of mineral Sherrill is well and hearty when the war is over you may look for us home if not be fore if we live and are able to get home is the nighest I can come of telling you at this time so I must quit for this time tell the Children to be good children and America must learn her book and Columbus feed the pigs and play with Grant and keep him from crying so no more this time but ever remain your affectionate husband until death

                                                                                    Josiah Bradford

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