Dear Father And Mother

I thought I would begin a nother letter in answer to yours of the.23. I was very glad to here from you and to here you are gitting a long so well I hope this will find you well. There is not very mutch going on here now. We tryed to rase a muss the other day we advanced our picket line and took the rebs line of pits we got a bout 8 or 10 rebs. we looked for them to try and take the pits back but they didnot. This is a very durty sheet of paper but it was give to me and I thought I would use it

     This is better than non:-- if I git them boots and tobacco will be a thousand times obliged to you. my boots are nearly worn out they have lasted well. if I dont have any better luck with the tobacco than I did with the other you sent me it will not a mount to mutch. There has bin some change in commanders lately. Howerd [i.e., Maj. Gen. O. O. Howard] has taken the .comd. that McPherson held Stanly [i.e., Maj. Gen. David S. Stanley].comds.the.4 Corps.Col. Grose [i.e., Col. William Grose] comds. whare Stanly did and .col. Post [i.e., Col. P. Sidney Post] takes the place of Grose. it is the first time I ever herd of a col. commanding a division. his time will soon be out I expect he will go home with his regiment. You say you want me to do all I can for Frank [i.e., Sgt. James F. Fryrear, Co. K, 84th Illinois Infantry] he is at chattanooga and I am at Atlanta. I cannot do any more for him than you can

     a fellow has to stay with the rejiment I have no money to send him nor any thing that would do him any good if I could do any thing for him I would be willing to do it. Howerd had a very hard fight [i.e., the battle of Ezra Church, 28 July 1864] on the wright yesterday. our loss was two thousand the rebs loss was 10 thousand Howerd had Just got in shape when the rebs charged him he had two corps on the line and the 3 one for support they say the rebs was drunk. as soon as they got them started they cut them all to thunder I dont think they can make many more such charges. they have lost since the .20. of this month a bout 20 thousand. I guess they intend to stay here as long as they have a man left. I hope they will stay I think it will be all the better for us. they use some big guns they are .64.lb.guns one shell is all a man wants to pack.

they havnot hurt us any yet with them I expect they would if they should hit our works they have not come any ways near us yet they are very poor gunners I think they are not very far off not overe a mile off if that far we can see the flash of the guns in daylight. they have quite a number of big guns I dont think they will take them a way with them when they leave. I will quit for tonight. I have to git supper). [illeg] You want to know what cind of a looking fellow he is he is not very good looking he looks well enough his hair is brown he has a roman nose, brown beard you dont know any one that looks like him I dont think he is the wright cind of a fellow and that is a bout all I can tel you. John Sapington [i.e., Pvt. John Sapington, Co. K, 84th Illinois Infantry] is all wright but I dont think he has got any thing from home since we left Blue Springs he wrote home when we was back at the river I dont know but what he wrote once since we came here. he git a long fine as far as I know. he is as big as his Father

I will write a little more the male goes out today I will fill the rapper full. their is nothing strange happened. the picket on our wright had quite a little fight I dont know how it turned out. In all the chargees the rebs have mad they have lost .18. stand of collors. Howerd got a.11.stand when they charged him when they was picking up the killed they found a woman killed they supposed by the looks that she had took part in the fight I think that is going a little to far for a woman.to go.all that sticks them selvs up for a mark aught to be shot it is not a womans place in a fight.). When our men charged the rebs pits they found in won a little boy a bout .10.

years old shot through the hip. that I think is to bad to poot children up for a mark I expect he was a reb or he nead not have bin their I cant pitty them any. if they will fight let them take the consequences the dezerters say there is Just enough left to make a nother charge and when the officers git drunk a gain they will mak a nother and then muck under. they Say Old Hood [i.e., General John Bell Hood] says that one of the armys will be killed here befor the thing ends I think it will be the rebbile army if any I will wind this slang up you will git tired of reding it so I will quit.