Dear Father.And.Mother

     I will write A gain to let you know that I am well I hope this will find you the same. we have ben playing thunder for the last day or so last night their was four regiments went out and shot a while their was one in company .E. got a slight wound in the arm that is all that was hurt in the.84. their was.5.wounded in the.56.Ind. this morning old Grose [i.e., Brig. Gen. William Grose] took.4.regiments and went a bout 2 miles to the left I guess he thought he would take Atlanta after he got out a ways he found more than he could attend to their was one killed and two wounded in the 9 Ind. I think he would like to be the first one in

to Atlanta. he likes to try them on once in a while to see if they aint all left. he found out. their was some left yet. Their is lots of the boys sick their is.8.sick or their is that many that dont do duty in the company. their is William Stockton [i.e., Pvt. William H. Stockton, Co. K, 84th Illinois Infantry] that cant see of nights and Dick Woods [i.e., Pvt. Richard Woods, Co. K, 84th Illinois Infantry] the same way and Hervy Brimhall [i.e., Pvt. Henry Brimhall, Co. K, 84th Illinois Infantry] the same way and sick besids. William. I. Beaty [i.e., Pvt. Ira W. Beaty, Co. K, 84th Illinois Infantry] is sick he can hardly git a round. the Stringtown [i.e., Stringtown, Hamilton County, Illinois] boys have a bout plaid out on this trip I think they will come out all wright yet. the docters say those men that cant see of nights gowes blind the same as a horse after a while they will git so they cant see in day light it will be an awful thing. Dick Woods has got so in the last few days. their is more that will git sick. it rains nearly every day and going on picket every other day and gitting wet will make any one sick. our lieutennant said he under stood our men gained some on the rebs yesterday on the wright they could see the rebs comeing this

way. while they was reinforceing this side they went for them on the other side. I think we have got our hands full here we have ben here near a month and havnot got them out yet and I dont believe we will untill we git more men I think they have very near as many men as we have, we have had marching orders for two or three days. The.59.Ill vts have ben put in to a brigade in the.2. division col. Post [i.e., Col. P. Sidney Post] commands the brigade I think he is a very good commander. he is good to his men and that is more than I can say of all. Col .L.H. Waters [i.e., Col. Lewis H. Waters, 84th Illinois Infantry] has gon home he is sick. if one of us poor devels git sick we have to go as long as we can and when we cant go any longer they will say that fellow is playing off he cant never git a furlow. if an officer gits under the weather a little he gits clear of duty. if you go to the docter he will give you some quinine opium some other stuff it doesnot make any odds what the matter is. I got a letter

from James W Morgin [i.e., Pvt. James W. Morgan, Co. D, 138th Illinois Infantry] last night it was very short and as little nuse in it as any letter I ever got from any boddy. their was a man or two got hurt out their by the reb I guess they think it is awful to have a man hurt. it is an every day thing here. he says he is fatter than he ever was before I think if that is the case he had better inlist for three years I should think it would just suit him to lay a round and smoke and sleap I have herd some such talk that Col Waters was going to try to exchange places with the 83.Ill they are at Fort Donnelson [sp. Donelson] it would go hard with them to come front and live as we do after living well so long I could not pitty them any I should think they could stand it one year in the front as well as we have two years they havnot don their country mutch good I dont think. I will wate til the male comes and see if their is any thing for me