Jones, Joseph (fl. 1862-1865) to Nancy E. Jones
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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02739.118 Author/Creator: Jones, Joseph (fl. 1862-1865) Place Written: Dallas, Georgia Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 5 June 1864 Pagination: 4 p ; envelope Order a Copy
Nine days' engagement with the enemy; continuous fighting in Tennessee from 4 May to 7 June; discomfort from "filth and durty clothes and loss of sleep;" hopes for a furlough.
Monday June 5th/64
Batle field neer dallas Tenn.
It is through the good providence Of our heavenly parent that I am Spared and blessed with the Priviledge of addressing you to Day: by letter, I will say in the [struck: out set of,] first place that it has stil bin the lords pleasure to Give me moderate good (or I might say extry good) health up to the present evening. and what is more of a mistory in his divine goodness is that he has brought me safe through the seventh batle, and I raise my voice in prair: to him and plead with him to save me through the next; approaching batle, we have bin engaged here with the enemy: more or les for [2] nine days, up to last night, but to the joy of our harts when day light came this morning the foe or enemy was gone from before us, our front line has bin so near theirs for 9 days past that we could here the snapp of their gunn locks, for instance as fur from them as from mothers house to her stable, we have fought 3 batles since we left east tennisee, except we would call it one continual batle commencing at dalton on the 7 of may and lasting until june the 4th. and it woud be very neer correct to say it was one continual batle for we ware under fire evry day with a very few exceptions. We are well woren out many have sickened and bin sent back to hospitals and our regt is reduced again to one hundred men. my helth is good but I feel uncomfortable [3] because of filth and durty clothes and loss of slaep. it may be some time yet before we have the priviledge of washing our clothes. perhaps not before we take atlanta a point 35 miles from here: I do not think it is nesesary to relate any transactions or anecdotes that came under my observation: but when I get home (If I am so fortunate as to get home, and I believe I will be) I will have my lifetime to [strikeout] tell my experience in the armey. let mother read this letter for I cannot write to her during this campaign tel sister phebe that If I dont git to come home when this campaign is over I will then corispond with her again.
lieut king told me last night that he would send me home on [4] a furlow as soon as this campaign is over if he stil has command of the co and can send me. and he sais that he believes that he can git a furlow for me easier than for any body else from the fact that I have bin such a faithful soldier and have always done my duty and have stood up like a soldier at al times, I hope you will al prey for me and I will get to come home yet if not on a furlow, at the end of my time of service and that time as fast approaching, O the hapy thought of enjoying the presance of my friends arround the old hearth stove, it is next to the thought of meeting in heaven, whare our rest will ever be, so farewell.
direct to chattanooga tenn, and as soon as you lern that our regt is at atlanta direct to that point. prey for me day and night and i shall continue hapy.
Joseph Jones to
Nancy E. Jones
[envelope]
Mrs. Nancy E. Jones
Melrose Po
Clark County
Illinois
[docket]
June 5-64
Dallas Tenn
army
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