Atlanta Geo. Sept 10^th 1864

 

Dear Kate

        I received you letter of Aug 22^nd and one from Annie of the 19^th on the 4^th

 

It has been a long time since I wrote to you but I have good reason for not doing so

 

I wrote one letter to Mother when on the flank move which I hope she got and also one yesterday. We started on the grand flank movement on the twenty fifth of August and got back to Atlanta on the 8^th of Sept which make fifteen days away from our rail road communication.

 

It is of no use to tell you / what what we did as the paper have it in before this On the 29^th I saw the troop destroying the Montgomery Rail road they puled up the track and piled them up and burnt them, and then bent them near double. that was the first rail road that I ever saw destroyed. Left the Montgomery road on the 30^th and got possession of the Macon road on the first of Sept. but we had a fight to get it. the rebels charged our men and was driven back with great loss.

 

On the second we went through Jonesboro most of the people was away, some to get away from our shells and other went up to Atlanta to have a good time over / the Yankee retreat, as it was reported. but they soon found out what was the matter when they heard that ‘the Yanks’ was twenty miles in the rear and their communication cut off. so they though the best thing that they could do was to get out of the way as fast as possible. they burnt up eighty cars of ammunition that they could not get away. The citizen along the road told me that they went pass her house as fast as they could travel.

 

As they went out one side of the town the twenty corp came in the other. We had plenty to eat on the trip chickens, sweet potatoes, apples, sheep &c / the country was in a better condition and all the house had plenty of people in them.

 

Every day we would take a waggon a get it full of corn for our horses so they had plenty to eat, and keept in good condition. But I am afraid that they will get poor if we did not soon get more feed for them. I suppose you have heard that the rail road was cut.

 

We are encamped in the town but I have not seen very much of the town yet, but what I have seen is very nice, but every house have hole in it made by our shells I never saw any thing so broken as some of the houses are. Near every house have a place dug under the house or in the yard that the people went into / when we was shelling the town

 

We have been very bussy building our tent since we got here we have got a good shanty to live in as good as many place that I have seen that they call in this country houses.

 

It is very warm here I think it is warmer now than it has been. to day is the the warmest day that we have had.

 

I will stop and write soon again. hoping to hear soon from you            good bye

 

Give my love to all

            from your affectionate brother

                        Warrington

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