On the front line of Battle

In site of Atlanta Aug 11^th..64

 

Dear wife and dear children

i am well yet praying these few lines may reach you in good health. we have mooved forward only about 20 rods since i last wrote or since the 6^th there is a continual roar of artilery kept up night and day shelling each other and brisk musketry on the skirmish or picket line our company was on picket nite before last there is some one of our regt killed or wounded allmost every day. well i had to stop writeing for the last half hour and sit in the dich behind our breast works to keep out of the way of reb shels and canister we often / have to huddle down in the ditches the peaces of shells flew all around us this time but hurt no one well our gun had the last shot. well hear they are sending more of there caned fruit to the rebs and they will send us some in return but i can write in the dich. now Ruth acording to what i hear from Mosoura you had better stay whare you are at present it would be to much of an undertakeing and to hard for you with the little children besides you have had enoughf of mooving alone O if i was with you i could talk so much better than i can write O may it be the will of god that we may soon meet again near to sever untill death, (the lord be with us) 

 

now John and Lol i will write to you soon i will have to stop writeing and stick this in a invelop in a hurry and put on my cartrage box and be ready for a fight our piqets are fireing faster than cannon but maby it will blow over we often get ready for a charge or a battle when it is nothing but a scare or our pickets advanceing and this is case now for our commander says we nedent mind for a while. i cant half write crouded up hear in the dich and shells singing and bursting over my head and musket balls balls flying past every minute we have been under a shower of artilery and musketry for the last 10 days and night with out intirmishoon / i hope the rebs will soon leave the town and let us have it a while. they will soon have to fall back then we have the promis of rest yes when we get the city we will go into camp and rest and recruit up befor ferther operations

 

O when will peace reath her chains around us forever

 

i will write as ofton as i can yes i will dear Ruth O children be kind and have patience a little longer and i will be at home to stay. O that will be joyful to meet to part no more yes dear Ruth i think the lord will be on our side. thanks be to him for past blessings i remain your affectionate companion John G Scoville

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