March the 9^th A D 1864 Ringgold Georgia

Mr. W^m Albright

 

Dear friend with great pleasure I take my pen in hand to let you know that I am well and hope these few lines may find you the same The boys from our place that you knew are all well Wesley Lutes W^m Peddycoard & James Smith The health of the regt. is good at present this morning we had but one man report sick at roll call and he is a new recruit and has the diarhea which all new recruits will have and veterans sometimes too for it is the most general complaint there is in the army and proves the most fatal I suppose you have heard before this time that we have left Chattanooga we are some eighteen or twenty miles from Chattanooga but I dont think we will advance any further for some time as the season or the strength of our army here will not admit of it I guess we will have to wait for the new recruits and the veterans to get here before we make a move / I dont think we will move for a month or two yet just owing to circumstances but perhaps you can tell as much or more about about it than I can I received your letter a good while ago but I had so many letters to write and so much else to do that I could not get time to answer it till now but I hope you will pardon me and write as soon as you get this letter and let me know how you all are and how you all do for I would love to hear from you once more and know how W^m is may he live to enjoy the comforts of sweet liberty for which we all fight and pour out our blood so freely. Liberty Oh! Sweet liberty if ever I forget thee let my right hand forget her cunning and my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth for this our fathers died and for this their sons are willing to do the same May God in his infinite mercy soon restore to us our liberties unimpaired as we received them from our ancestors is my prayer night and day this is the greatest earthly thing that concerns my mind / nothing else could have induced me to leave my dear wife and children and endure the hardships of a soldiers life and yet how little thanks we get from a great many by them we ar called Lincoln hirelings and fighting our Southern brethren I term them as our fathers did the brittish enemies in war in peace friends for I consider any man my enemy either north or South who tries to overthrow this government. what do you think on the matter. I have not heard from home since the 21^st ult. James got a letter yesterday dated the 26^th. they were all well when they wrote and in great hopes the war was about to a close But my opinion is that there will be some hard fighting done yet befor it closes but I hope not for it seems to me there has been enough sacrifice of blood and treasure to atone for our sins as a nation but the Lord knows best and we must submit to his holy will Oh! that we could all humble ourselves properly before him that the storm of his wrath may be stayed and peace and prosperity be restored to us as a nation will you pray for us that God may preserve us and soon bring us to our friends in peace Tell Jacob I would / love to get a letter from him once and know how he is and how he does when you write be sure and tell me all the news write me a good long letter tell me the state of the market the church and how times are generaly for I love to hear all the news give my love to all my friends and write as soon as this comes to hand pardon my poor writing for I have the poorest kind of a pen So now I must close for the present  John A. Porter to W^m Albright

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