Tullahoma Tenn         June 24^th 1863

            Dear Mary Alice Kelly

it is with pleasure I seat my self to rite you a few lines to Let you know that I am well & hope these few Lines may find you all the same            there is no news here to tell you at this time yesterday Evening we heard Canonading up in frunt near Murfreesboro but don’t know what it means for the are Schrumishing all the time up there But have no rebil General Ingagements We had a fight at Knoxville 2 days ago and lost 140 men and the Yankees Lost over that and we repulsed them and we had a fight at fort Hudson and Killed 3500 and we Lost about 160 in all we whiped them there also

Dear Daughter you must thank the Lord that he has crowned our side with so many victories of Late we have not Lost narrow(sic) Battle We are progressing on to Peace very fast I think that by fall we will have peace at least I pray for it all the time & the Lord will hear my prayers I Know

I am still at work at this place on the fortifications and dont no when we will finish them I thought we would have had them Dun before this time

I sent D^r Lounay 2 News papers the other Day ask him if he got them tha had all the late News in them tell him I want him to rite me all the News of Tampa and tell him how to Dyrect in Care of Capt Green Chief Engineers Hardee Corps Tullahoma Tenn and I will get it all them that you have dyrected to the Regment has gon to Mississippi & I Never will get them I have not heard a word from our Regt since it Left here but I hope it is all right and will cum out right in the End Please Let me no what Maj Lisley is a duing at home when you rite again/

Dear Mary While I rite sitting here I hear the Canonading a gain I expect that tha will be a big fight here Long before this Reaches you we have Looked for it some time & when it cums then you will hear of a fight that will I hope do Honor to Our Country & its cause tha are fighting up there 15 miles from here for I here the Guns tha Sound Like Distant Thunder

            Dear Mary I send you the Telegraphic Despach and you can reed it your self it is the Latest News from Vixburg & Good News it is too thank the Lord you must show it to D^r Lounay and M^rs Porter Let me no how you all are as soon as you get this

Give my love to all the children for me Let me no if Jimmy Cant rite yet & if you and him are going to School yet rite soon for I have not heard from you in 3 months if you Dont Let me here from you soon I shall Quit Riting for I have rote 6 or 8 Letters since I got one and you would not Like it your self

Give my Love to all my frends & Alice tell her I would Give more to see her and the Children than any thing on Earth I must close rite soon God Bless you all is the Prayers of your

                                                Affectionate Father

                                                J H Kelly

the cannon are fireing about 10 or 12 in a minute 15 prisoners came in just now on the M^cMinville Train taken by our men

                                                J H Kelly

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