Stevenson Ala
March the 28 /64
I received your wellcom letter this morning of the 22nd. I was glad to hear that you was better. I was afraid it would go hard with the baby. I am well. You have got the likeness I sent you. I was afraid you wouldent get it. I would get another picture of our camp if I could but they are all gone. You say Matie dont nead eney new clothes. I want you to get what she and you nead but you know best about that. I hope they will pay us again before long so I can send you some more money. The talk is now that we are going to march. We have received orders to hold ourselves in readiness but I dont much think we will go verry soone. There is a lot of troops marching up from Nashville going to the front. We may have to go when they get here. General Sherman staied here last knight. There will be a great move made before long and I hope a successful one which I think will be as Grant is at the head of our armies. I guess you dread the coming battles more than I do. It is best for us to keep it out of our minds as much as posible. I dread the marching about as much as I do the fighting. When I wrote to you last we had quite a deep snow. It most all melted the next day. It is warm here now. It is raning some to day. The grass grows some. You say Rast is home but is going back. I suppose he is makeing money. He could get 20 shilings per day down here. I think he might write me a leter. He knows how soldiers like to get letters. Our time is half out now. If 18 months from to day finds me as well as I am to day I shal consider myself a luckey man. I hope the war will be setteld before then. I want to see it ended before I leave it. Perkins time is out to day. I look for him amorrow. I heard a smart sermin preached yesterday from a young man that belongs to the senetary commition. We have preaching most every Sunday. After preaching the band plais a peice. It sounds better than eney melodian in a church. The colonels wife is here yet. She is making quite a visit. She may stay a little to long if she haint already. We had three more recruits come last weak so have got 16 in all. I shal have to close for this time. Write as often as you can. I will answer them. Give my best respects to all. My love to you. Kiss the children for me. Good buy.
Charles Engle
I see John Wines the other day. He is down here at work. He looks old and poor. He thought I was verry fleshey.