Dear Father and Mother.

     I thought I would write again to let you know that I am well. I hope this will find you the same. Their has bin some fighting on our wright they are trying to git up a muss here now. I dont know whether they will make it out or not I hope not. when ever we charge on their works we never make it pay. their works are very strong. the nuse is that the .14. corps is crossing the railroad close to east point

they have bin close enough to the railroad to shell every train that passed the cars stil run for all the shelling we can here them when they come in to Atlanta I dont think they will run long. The nuse is here that Mobile is taken some of our men got a late Atlanta paper that had it in. the rebs was giveing their men thunder for giveing it up so easy. they thought it the most shameful surrender of the war. I think it is a good thing for us. I dont think they can hold Atlanta mutch longer. they say old Hood [i.e., Gen. John Bell Hood] sent out a flag of troos wanting Shurman [i.e., Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman] to stop shelling the town til he could git the woman and children out. I think they had time

to git them out before we got here I guess shurman thought so for they keepe shooting I think they wanted to git some other things out to. this thing of gitting them in a tite place and then letting them go I hope is plaid out it would be a good thing for them to have us stop till they got fixed Shurman is to sharp for that. if we could only take this army in out of the wet it would be a good thing.) I have got the toothache like the devel I can hardly write. I was on picket and caught cold. we go on picket a bout every other day. and I write a letter nearly every time I come off their is some thing rong I havnot had a letter for two weeks if I dont git a letter before long I will quit writing

     The old suttler come up we got tobacco and some of the boys got paper and invellops I didnot git any my nam was allmost last and I didnot git any thing but invellops. I wish you would send me some you can send quite a lot by male and it will not cost but little. their is talk that we will be paid before long I hope so.)
Hen Jamison has not got back yet I guess he is in Nashville yet. I wish he would come up.) Their was a fellow here yesterday that belonged to the.10.Ill he says they are on the wright about.14.miles from here I guess they will have some fighting to do I think they aught to have some thing to do they havenot done the fighting our corps has,) I.W Beaty [i.e., Pvt. Ira W. Beaty, Co. K, 84th Illinois Infantry] is sick I think he will have to go back before he gits any better:) Write often to your hopeful in the army

H.H. Maley

Wm M Maley
E.A Maley