1864
     Nashville tennsee Jan 25
Dear sister I now take this
oppertunity to rite you
a few lines to let you 
know whare i am and
what i am doing i have
not got to my redgeiment
yet we got here last
saturday night now to tell
how we came here we started
from grand rapids the 20th 
and went to detroit hence
to mishigan city from their
to luisville then to nashville
I dont know how long we 
will have to stay here
thare is some mecanics
here that has been here
aweek Expecting to go
every day and have not gone 
yet and cant tell when

we will go I am
well and harty as a chick
Except a bad cold but
that is getting better
now i cant rite but
little now thare was
a bout forty rebil 
deserters came in here
to camp last night
and they said that their
was a bout a hundred
more a comming in a
day or two they wer a
hard looking set of fellows
sone had old coats and
some not any they cant
look a yankee solger
in the fase to talk
they look down they say
that they wont go back
in the southern army
i cant tell you


whare I shall be
so you can rite to
me yet but i ex pect
to go to chatnoga in a 
day or two report came
here to day that tey
wer fighting their general
grant is their these
deserters says that
longstreets army is to
chatnoga but they say
that he cant keep
them in line of battle
long at a time if that
is so we will [som?]
dres them out I cant
think of any thing more
only that we had a 
brake in the rail road
when we come up 
their was nobody hurt
to a mount to any

thing you must
excuse me for bad 
riting and spelling
for i am siting on
the floor and leaning
on my napsack no
more give my Respects
to all enquiring friends
so good by until nex
time I will rite when
i get to my ridegm
so you can tell
whare to Direct
From Sol Hardenberg
	to
         Cate Baker