May the 15^th 1864

McMinnville Tenn

 

My Dear Wife it is with pleasure that I ansor your letter this morning which is recived and red with pleasure I was glad to hear from you all tho I was sorry to hear that you was sick I hope you are well now and the children I am in tolerble good helth now we hav som good nuse hear Grant has drove lee back to ritchmond kild 3000 of his men and wounded 4 thousan more Generel thomas is fiting the rebls at Daulton in Gorgey and drove them back and still fiting thare the watch word is forward march and slay the rebels whear ever tha be we hear that the Regt that we releaved was cut all to peeses at Dalton it was the 19 Meshigan Regt the wether is cool and has bin for the most of this spring we hav had a fiew days nice wether and but fiew lots of fruit hear yet we had lots of / frost hear the first of this month but did not kill but little of the fruit peaches is pretey near as big as the end of my little finger and apels the same the sitzons says tha never seen as late a spring hear in thare livs well Rittey Ann if you hav got an ansor from that man that ownes that land let me no and if he has not rote send me his name in the first letter you rite and send me the Nombers of my lande so that I can get the Nombers of that and I will rite to him dont forget it I hav stamps yet and 50 senc in money and I dont no how long it will be before we will get our pay the nuse is we will not get our pay this time and if we dont I dont think we will get eney before our time is out tha say tha will hold us till the 22 day of September which is one month over three year likeing of 4 days I think tha will hold us acoarding to the last oarder Congress has rased a soaldiers wages from / the first of this month too 15 dollars pur month well if tha dont pay us now we will hav the more at the end of our time it is fore months and seven days to serv yet that the time pases off slow and it seems like one day is three times as long as common to mee I am home sick the worst I ever was since we hav bin in Tenn and I am getting tierd of beeinge a soldier I want to come home to live with you and the children I think if I was with you I cold enjoy myself better then I can hear but I hav to trust to providenc and hope to live to see you all and be with you all tell the children I send my lov to them and want to be rememberd by them and reseve a good shere your self for I never wanted to see you half as bad since I hav bin in this state I am afrade you will not get your coarne planted in time rite soon I will have to close soon /

 

So now fare well to all            rite soon and offten

 

                                                            J. W. sanders

                                                            R. A. Sanders and

                                                            Children and friends

                                                            fare well to all

 

the small pox is a rageing hear som som of Co. B. has died last week with it and sevrel has got it vary bad Gorg bosley has got it he is all that has got it in our Companey the is all well tho I am a frade we will get it yet if wee do we will do the best we can fare well fore a while

 

Tom says the tune that we used to sing to My rest is in heven my hour is not hear will go to this song

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