Tullahoma Tenn
Oct the 17 /63
My Dear Charlotte
I wrote a letter the 13th and told you I would write again the first chanse I had. We was then at Merfersburrough. We left there the 14th and went to Shelbyville. It is 25 miles. It was a hard days march. It rained hard all day. We dident get to Shelbyville till ten oclock. It rained all knight. We went into some old buildings and so had a good place to stay. We lay at Shelbyville til yesterday morning and came here 17 miles. We expect to leave here tomorrow. Shelbyville was once a nice place. The rebs was there just a weak before we got there and robed all the stores in the place. It is quite a union town. The onely one in midel Tennessee. One man sead he lost 36,000 dollars. They got a good meney boots and shoes. They distroid a great deal of property. It was Wheelers cavelry that was there. You will see an account of it in the papers. We came throug a rough road yesterday. The mules are about tired out. Some of the teams dident get here until this morning. The land here is verry level and nice. Timber is oak and chestnut. I thought when we was to Nashville that our corps had gone to Chattanooga but it is scattered alond the railroad guarding it. I think we will go back to Nashville. I would like to get a letter to day but I dont know as I will. We wont get the mail verry regular untill we get setteld. I hope it will be before long for I am tired marching and moveing from place to place but that is the soldiers life. We have done our share of it since we have served one year pretty faithfully. I heard the other day that Mead was falling back. We dont have a chance to get papers here as we did when we was in the Army of the Potomac so we dont know much about what is going on. You wory a great deal me. You musent do it. It dont do eney good and as long as I ceep my health I can stand it. When we get in winter quarters I wont have it verry hard not as hard as you have it with the children. I wish I could be home to help you take care of them but I cant. If I could onely see you and the children and have a good visit with you we would feele better but we must ceep up good spirits hoping this cruel war wont last much longer. I wish I knew if you got all my letters. This makes I think five since we left Va. I wish I could get a letter every day. I read the old ones every day. I must close. My love to you all. Good buy.
Charles to Charlotte
Tell Martha Nelson I dont know eneything about the 134th regt. It haint in our corps. If we go to the front I think I will see James Brown. I wish you could send me another pen. I cant hardly write with my old one. Send me a stif one. The most fun I have seene to day was to see two negro girls about ten years old fight. They struck each other like a coupel of men.