Near Atlanta GA
July the 27 /64
Dear Charlotte
Your letter of the 17th came to hand yesterday. I was glad to hear from you once more and that you were all well. I am tough as ever. It is a great blesing to have such good health. We have advanced our line since I last wrote. We are now but one and half mile from Atlanta. The rebs stick pretty well. They hate to leave Atlanta. Their losses since the twentieth are not less than eighteene or twenty thousend. The rebs loss in front of Hookers corps the twentieth was seven thousend. Hookers was thirteene hundred. Five hundred in Gearies divition. They must be discouraged. The pickets ceep up a pretty brisk fireing day and knight. We though they was coming twice this forenoone. The rebs ceep throughing shot and shell from the forts but they dont do much damage. We have got stroung works and deep ditches. It is cloudy to day. It rained some last knight. You say you are weaning John D. I wish I was home to help you. I am afraid you will have a hard time. I hope you will have good luck. I suppose you can wean him easier now than eney other time. It seams Matie hasent forgot her pa yet. I believe I want to see her as much as I do John D if not more. I want to see you all verry much. I wish I had my pay. I dont know what you will do if I dont get it soone. You are out and every thing is so high. Let me know how you are getting along. We get plenty of rations. We have fresh beef every other day and plenty hardtack coffee and suger. We draw condenced potatoes now. They are verry good. They look like corn meal. We soak them in hot water. Six spoons full will fill a quart cup most full when they are soaked., We then fry them in grease. They are verry good and healthey to. I will tell you what I would like for my supper. That is a good buttermilk pap such as you uest to make. I dont know of eney thing I would reather have than that. If I was home I would have you make some for supper. Fourteene months more and my time will be out. I hope I will be the luckey one to see that time but the boys go fast. There is but one hundred sixty five left in our regt for duty. There is a good meney sick and wounded. I must close. Write often as you can. Good buy dear Charlotte.
Chas Engle