GEORGIA - CIVIL WAR LETTERS Battle of Atlanta 1864 Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Rstarthistle@wmconnect.com Rhonda Raye Georgia Table of Contents: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm aug 18 - 1864 Line of battle Near Atlanta Ga. Aug. the 18th My dear loving wife I will now endeaver to write a few lines in answer to your's received yesterday. I was extremely glad to hear from you, was very sorry to know that your jaw was still giving you pain. hope it has gotten well before now. -Though if not I would advise you to have some of your teeth extraced for I am sure that decaying teeth are the cause of you suffering so much with your jaw.--My health is very good though my jaw is paining me some to day: But I hope it will not get very bad I am glad you have been to Uncle G. W. T's! Sorry his family is not well. - H. Danner is well. very little sickness here now. the whole army is remarkably healthy. Well my Dear I have but little news of importance. the yanks have made another raid through the country cuting the west Point R.Road again but they did not set us back much for we had nearly abandoned that road any how. the raiders were met by some of our troop before they sacked the Macon R. R. & were compelled to turn their course & make their escape by flight. Gen. Wheeler has gone to the rear of Shermans army with a large force of picked cavalry. he has been gone several days & rumer sais he has cut the R.R. between here & Dalton & I suppose it is so for one of the yanks to some of our men that their supplys were cut off. If Gen. Wheeler succeeds in his undertaking Sherman & his black hearted soldiers will be compelled to withdraw his army (from Atlanta or assault our works & in either case the result will be disastrous to his army. The present is an interesting moment: Something must be done very soon. We are all anxiously waiting to hear from Gen. W___ . If he is successful our prospects will be bright?ned _?_ if _?_ ?uccessfu? th? _?_ God grant us success I pray. Our troops are in fine spirits generaly speaking. But there are some exceptions; And those who are despondent themselves are having a bad influence on others. If we can succeed in holding our present position the morale of our army will remain unchanged, (comparatively speaking) But if we are compelled to fall back & give up this place I fear the army will be greatly demoralised: Gen Johnson could have retreated across this state & kept the troops all in good spirits but it is not so with Gen H- I hope our next move will be a forward moovement (that is I hope we may soon have the pleasure of following Sherman's Army in full retreat) We have had a remarkably quiet time this morning though the sharpshooters & skirmishers are firing briskly at each other now. & the batterys are begining to fire some on our right and left. There are some indications of an attack just now but the enemy has disappointed us so often that we never know when he intends making an assault. Though we are ready for him & if he does come he will meit with a warm reception. - Well Mollie I wrote to you on the 16th. I write to you twice a week sometimes oftener. I went on picket night before last & was relieved last night. I had ___?__ably fine time, th? enemy agreed to not fire at us on picket if we would not fire on them. So we agreed to their proposal and fared better than if we had not been on picket for they fired over us at our line of battle & killed one officer & wounded some more men. (Our picket line is in a ravine between the two main lines so it is an easy matter to fire over the pickets without them being in much danger.)------ Amen wounded. One of our men was wounded about a minute ago he was here behind the breastworks the sharpshooters are throwing the minnie balls all around us. they shoot at us whenever they see our heads above the works. I think I shall stop writing in a few minutes & take a few shots at them. they make me dodge constant. well Mollie I will tell you what I did yesterday while on picket. I heard a squad of yankees diging a redoubt on a little ridge. I concluded to watch them so I sliped up within about 30 yards of them and * (our pickets were in a few steps of the enemy all day yesterday) and watched them for aboutt two hours & then sliped off again without being discovered by them. I am geting very tired of this campaign though I hope it will end soon & if we are successful through this campaign I trust the war will be virtually ???sed. I have not heard from any of our friends since I wrote to you. I feel thankful for God's protection through past dangers. o- may I still be protected through f?t_?_ dangers. Well my Dear I must bring my letter to a close I believe the yanks are about to attack us we are geting ready for them. I believe we will be in a battle in less time than an hour judging from the present indications. May God aid us & lead us through safe is my sincere prayr. Give my love to all my friends. I must stop for the present but will write more if I get the chance. May the Lord bless you & all my friends I am your true loving & devoted husband. R. T. M. Simmons. Later in the evening, the Yanks did not attack us. I think their officers tryed to make them charge our works but they would not do it. I don't think they can induce their men to charge us without making them drunk. Dont be uneasy I will write to you often. do write me often. tell Ett to write R. T. M. Simmons * NOTE: this line was written in the top margin on page #4 ? and _?_ couldn't distinguish the letter or group of letters even if the word could be guessed from the remaining letters. NOTE: Robert Thomas Michelberry Simmons 40th Alabama volunteer infantry born in Troup Co, GA, lived in Sumter Co, GA, raised AL, sheriff of Scott Co MS in 1880 and 1881 (I have some tax receipts with him collecting as sheriff from that time). Then ended up in Meridian, Mississippi.