Atlanta GA
Sept 10 /64
Dear Wife
I seat myself this evening to write you a fiew lines and tell the sad news. Our brave and galent leader Col Ireland is dead. He died last night of dissease. He had a verry bad direar and fever. He was sick but verry fiew days. I think but four. He estabelesth his headquarters where Hood had his when the rebels was here and he died there. The chaplain has gone to Binghamton with the corpse. I wish you could be there when he gets there and see the corpse. I never see a hansomer one. He looked verry naturel and he has on his dress coat. The two rows of buttons and the eagles on his shoulders look verry nice. We have lost a friend. He favored our regt a great deal this sumer. He was a brave officer and will be missed verry much. His quick eye could see the position of the rebels and then he could his brigade in position as quick as eney other man. He saved his brigade from being all cut to peices at Resaca. He was hit by a peice of shell in that fight and he hasent looked verry well since then. It hit him in the small of his back. We miss him verry much but it is a great deal worse for his wife. She will miss him the most. She thought a good of her Colonel. Dear Charlotte I have ben verry lonesome this weak. We havent had but one mail since we came here and that when we first got here. The rebs has cut the road and we cant get eney mail and I dont suppose you get eney but I think we will get a mail tomorrow. The road must be be repaired by this time. I hope so. I want to hear from you verry much and I suppose you do from me. We are now in camp and will get pay soone. I wish I had got pay before the chaplain went home. I could sent it by him. It will be verry risky sending money from here by letter. The rebs are trying hard to cut our communications and make it out sometimes but old John Morgan is killed. That is one good thing. A cavalry man in the 13th Tenn cavalry shot him. When he died a thief and a cowerd expired. There should be a salute fired in front of every horse stable in the land in honor of his death and all horses should be notified that they can now repose in quiet at night and graze in peace in the daytime for he was a natureal horse thief. I guess he is locked now where he wont dig out again. It will be sad news to the copperheads of Ohio. I would like to know how they are getting along with the draft and who is drafted in Vestal. There must be stiring times north now but the fall of Atlanta will help some. I think it will make a diferance in prices of things. If Grant should take Richmond gold and everything would come down which I hope will soone be. It is getting late and I will stop writing and go to bed. I call it bed. I have nothing but boards to lay on. I am thankful for them. Good knight.