HENDERSON COUNTY, TN - LETTERS - John C. Smith to wife Lucinda J. Payne Smith, 29 May 1864 ----¤¤¤---- NOTE: Addressed on back: "L.J. Smith at home" (Lucinda J. Payne Smith, wife) John Culpepper Smith's writing style is difficult to read so I have edited the following transcript by applying capitalization and punctuation to facilitate interpretation. The spelling is his own; he apparently considers the use of double letters and final "e's" as an affectation. - RGE 2003 May 29th 1864 Camped near Tupelo, Mississippi My dear beloved wife It is a source of some pleasure that I am permitted this opportunity to write you a few lines to let you hear from me. I am in the enjoyment of good health at the present time and hope these line may find you and our precious little children enjoying the best of health and still enough to liv on, for it would distress me very much to know my beloved ones was sufering in their lonly condition at hom, as I am away and cannot be with them thair to lend any assisting hand to the wants to my dearest ones on earth. But I hope I shal be permited the privilidg of seeing home a gain shortily but if not I want you to try to do the best for your self and our precious little children and I will try to shif for my self. We are getting plenty to eat, and plenty of feed for our horses since we hav bin at Tupelo the last time I think we will move from here shortily where we will go cannot tell but I think wele go north from hear if we do I am coming home. (Page break) I want you to write to me every chance for I am anxious to hear from home and know how you are getting along. I have herd nothing for *i*tings from you since Thomas Swift left home tho I here every few days from that section which is some satisfaction to me. Tell my friends (unknown) them all to write. When you write direct to Bells Brigade Wilsons Regiment Carrolls Company. I allaid all knight with uncle Thomas Smith. As we came down here his family was all well and harty. Uncle Thomas is good southerner. The Yankeys fed all his corn away last winter and taken all his horses and mules but two and two of his negros. He got his negros back and some of his horses. He says he can liv yet if he is let a lone and I think so two (unknown) for he seamed to hav plenty while I was there. I hav writen a leter to John Swift but haven't got an answer yet. I saw Captain Daniel McCollum from Mobile. He was well and said the soldiers was generally well thair . We here favorble nuse for the Southern cause from nearly every point. The yankeys from reports seams to get whipped on all sids . (Page break) I want you to make me a pair of pants for summer if you can by the time I get home. The clothing we draw is two heavy for warm wether. I have drawn one pair of socks and Roof Johnson giv me an old shirt. I hav as many cloths as I can cary. I will hav to close for the want of time as we hav to go in inspection parade in a few minits and the leter carrier is about to start. Give my respects to all inquiring friends I will say nothing more only be shure to write the first chance Your affectionate husband until death JC Smith To L J Smith ___________________________________________________________________ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: R. Easley ___________________________________________________________________