the wether is quite cold and there is a little snow on the ground It has been very uncomfortable we are not very well clothed not so well as we ought to be for winter but I guess we will draw clothing We have been here now for 10 days and Hood is still here but what his intentions are is more than I can tell He acts very mysterious at present he is either going

to fall back or try to cross the river into East Tenn or Kentucky I do not know which I am well and so are the rest of the boys in the co that you we have not seen or heard any thing of the boys that are missing from the I would be glad to hear of their whereabouts if liveing The news from Sherman is very good so far It seems as though he was going to get to the coast as soon as possible by the paper I see by the papers that there is strong talk of evacuating Richmond it may be a nessessity more than any thing else what do you think of that that is my opinion

Hood has all of the available force he can get here with him he has probably 40000 as near as we can tell We have as much force as he has and I suppose nearly 30000 of cavarly and all they are waiting for is for them to fall back and then they will take after him and harrass his rear Well I must close good by write soon

H E Randall