Dear Father And Mother

     I will write you a fiew lines to let you know that i am well and I hope this will find you the same there is not mutch going on here now. They shell the rebs once in a while. their has not been any hard fighting for some time. the army seams to be resting. their is some talk of us gitting paid off before long I hope we will for we nead some money to buy paper and tobacco

the talk is all the time that the suttler is comeing up with things but he has not come yet. all the company things have come up they got here to day they say we will be paid off in checks and we will have to send them home to git the money I would like some of it that way and the rest what I want to use I would like to have in money. the nuse is that our men has part of the city I dont think it is hardly so I hope it is so. they say that Stoneman [i.e., Maj. Gen. George Stoneman] and five hundred of his men is taken in out of the wet. The letters the boys git say the copperheds are beginning to talk large a gin I suppose that they think the rebs

are gitting the better of is I cant see it yet. they say greenback is not worth anything at home now. Ellick Beck [i.e., Pvt. Alexander Beck, Co. G, 84th Illinois Infantry] got a letter from home that said a good cow was worth a hundred dollars in greanback around Biggsville if that is the case their is not mutch use of sending money home six months pay would not git a good stear. I think Fathers way of makeing money is about plaid out I hope it is not that bad. The boy ar all well I believe I havnot herd from Frank [i.e., Sgt. James F. Fryrear, Co. K, 84th Illinois Infantry] yet he never writes to me and has only wrote to Stockton [i.e., Pvt. William H. Stockton, Company K, 84th Illinois Infantry] once we herd from him when Cap Gartersnake [i.e., Capt. Frederick Garternicht, Co. G, 84th Illinois Infantry] come back here from Nashville to here

him tell it he done more for the boys than all the dockters could to here him tell it he is nearly thunder. Company G says that they intend to send to the old country for a ship load of dutch to make officers for their company and others that nead them.) This is a very dry letter but I havnot got a letter from any boddy for over a week this makes a bout half a duzzen I have wrot since I have got any So I will bring this thing to an end Write often to your hopeful in the army

H H Maley