1864LetterPage2and3a 1864LetterPage1and4a

We found this letter from a Civil War soldier in an old family Polyglot Bible that belonged to my great grandparents. We’re not sure who the writer is, but it’s a good bet that he was at least an old friend of the family. Sorry about the formatting. The writer didn’t have much truck with spelling, punctuation, or paragraphs.

Keep this letter safe until we hear from him again [written on top corner in a different hand]

Nashville, Tenn Dec the 2 1864

Dear Brother

I hasten to answer your kind and welcome letter which found me well but very tired and nearly worn out for I had no sleep for 48 ours and had ben in to battles and marched 40 miles on the morning of the 29 we left Columbia at a quick step for Spring Hill we got their just in time to save our train for the regs we formed and starded after them they fell back a bout one mile our brig followed them in line of battle the first and second brig in reserve when hear a mile from the town we halted and built rail works at a bout four oclock Cheatems men came forward mased for the charge they struck the right of our line and ware driven back three difernt times the rebs now sent forward a fresh din on our right and our reserve bit coming up the regs got in our rear then came the fun but I could not see the funy part for we had to run and fight on all sides but one far a hard half a mile we then turned on the regs and give them led so fast that they halted we then fell back to our reserve in town they had got works built and ready for the regs but they wisley rep[?] a way we ware up all night at two we started for franklin marching in three lines of battle so that we would have onily to front and go to work we got to franklin at nine Am got a bite to eat all the troops moved into position but our div. which was the rear to check hood if he came at one we went into position in front of franklin a bout half a mile from the main line of works we formed in the shape of a V or nearly [picture drawn “in this shape”] and began to dig rifle pits we worked hard but it was of no use at three the rebles ware seen coming in solid columns they ware a way to our left and right and in front eny a mount of them we ware In danger of capture but our oficers would not fall back without fiting he had postive orders to fall back at the aproach of the joneys[?] but he set their on his hors cool and calm with stidy my boys wait for the word they struck our skirmish line and drove it on the run it was a prity sight a bout forty thousand rebs coming when in a bout one hundred yards of us we rose and in one moment a bright flash then we were hid by smoke for the boys masked like fury we held our ground for ten minutes when the whole right give way and the rebs came at us length ways now came a race for the other line of works there was not much advantage in distance but we got their first and not much to brag in for the rebs ware within thirty steps of the works when we went over now came the tug of war the rebs came on to our works it was lined with blue on one side and gray on the other the roar of muskets and artilery was awful but the rebs fought like demon they came over the works our boys give back they came on we have no other works our boys are confused they still give back I give the thing up as lost but in a moment more I hear the stem calm voice of gen Stanley shouting rally my men you have whiped them before you can a gain a wild yell goes up and in one solid mass our boys spring forward in a moment more and the brick of guns wair doing their work the rebs did not bleave in cold steel so they broke some giving up some throwing a way their guns and climbing for dixe in a hurry in a bout twenty minutes we had our marks a gain but the fight was not over for the rebs held one side and us the other both shut under the head log for a bout half an our we then slackened our fire and told them to surender or we would kill every son of a bich that dard fire an other shot thare was a bout five hundred came in in front of us and five flags the thing was quiet for a bout five or ten minutes when the rebs came on a gain and that fight lasted till eight a clock a night at no time was we over one hundred yards a part