Atlanta
Oct the 15 /64
Dear Wife
I am verry thankfull of the privelage and chance to write and receive letters once more. We got a mail yesterday the first in 17 days. The rebs being in our rear we had no communications. Dear Charlotte it has ben the lonesomest time I have experienced since in the service and I know you are having trouble about me for I havent writen in most three weaks and there has ben some hard fighting and you dont know but I have ben in battle again but the 20th corps was left here to hold Atlanta. So we have escaped some fighting. I think we was verry lucy. I received four letters yesterday. They was mailed Sept twentieth twenty fifth twenty eight and Oct first. You cant imagine how glad we all was to hear from dear ones at home once more. General Geary started on a forageing expitetion the eleventh. He took about three thousent troops and five hundred wagons. The 137th went. We went out 25 miles south east of Atlanta. We had a verry good time. We got plenty of sweet potatoes fat bigs chickens honey molases. We almost killed ourselves eating. We had ben on half rations of meat and that fresh pork and mutten gravy and sweet potatoes went verry well. We filled all the wagons with corn and cotton. We got a great meney thousend dollars worth of forage. We dident find but fiew rebs. We had one man killed and one wounded. I had all the honey I could eat. I caught some cold the last knight we was out and my throught is some sore to day. We got in yesterday and found all my letters. Them done me more good than the eatables. I am verry glad our communications are open again but it is rhumerd now that the rebs tore up some of the track again last knight. Hoods whole army is on the north side of the river and all of Shermans except the 20th corps. We have got to hold Atlanta. Let come what will. We are fortifying so it will take a large force to drive us out. All the buildings out side the fortications have ben dorne down and the lumber used to build forts with. Some splendid houses cost not less than twenty thousend dollars. I wished father had one of them and we one on our place. I got a nice lot of siding to build me a nice little house. I am going to have it nine by fourteene. They will be three of us in when Hazard gets back. I have got a little stove I got in one of the houses. I shal build as as soone as we get where we will stay this winter. We have moved since I wrote last. We wont stay here long. I must take another sheet.
I wish you could have seene Hazard.
Second Sheet
We heard a fiew knights ago that Grants headquarters were in Richmond and we all got up. It was about midknight and gave three cheers but it haint so I dont think. We heard to day that Grant had cut all the rods and that Lee had to evacuate or come out and attact Grant. I think all is working well with both armies. You stated in one of your letters that Mr West think this war never can be setteld by fighting. He seams to think we cant whip them. He will think and say diferent one year from now. They are whiped now but we have got to make them acknowlage it. They are a hard set to deal with but they have got to come to our terms. If Lincoln is reelected which I think he will be the copperheads will do all they can to elect little Mac but they will spend their breath for nothing. The reelection of Lincoln will be a greater victory over the rebs than the fall of Richmond and Atlanta. We want no change now if we want a perament peace. I dont think there is a man in our Co that will vote for Mac. There was some a while ago but they have changed their minds. Some dont care who if he will onely close the war. It makes no diference to them how so they can go home. That will give little Mac a fiew votes. I say whip them so they will stay whiped if it takes ten years. I shall send my vote as soone as I can. I will send it to father and let him put it in for me. He wont dare to open it but it will be for Lincoln and Johnson. Dear Charlotte we havent got pay yet. The paymaster has paid all but two regts and ours is one of them and the talk to day is that he haint got money enough to pay us now but I dont think that is so. You say you have sold some hay. If you can get the money you can get along. It will awfull risky sending money frome here. I am afraid we will loose it if I send it. The rebs are trying hard to distroy our communications. I wish I could be home long enough to cut you some wood. I know you have hard work to get it. You dident say eneything about moveing in eney of those letters. I am verry anxious to know where you are going. Poor little Matie how I would like to see her. You say she is so poor. I know she haint well. She uest to be so fleshey. I will have to close. I dont know when I can send this. I hope you are all well. I am well with the exceptions of a little cold and sore throat. I dont think it will amount to much. I want to see you all verry much. I will answer Sophias some other time. Write often. I shall write again in a day or two. I will close by biding you all good buy.
Chas Engle