Nashville Feb 3d 1864

Dear Charlie
		I arrived
in town last night from 
Louisville on my way to
my regt. I was captured 
on the 4th of Nov. taken to
Atlanta, Ga, from there to
Richmond, from Richmond
to Danville Va. 140 miles
S.W. from Richmond. I 
remained in prison until 
the 27th of December when I
escaped by cutting the bars 
off the window and running 
through the guard lines.
two sentinels fired at me,
one ball hit me in the
right shoulder, cutting
a hole about two inches
in length and about the 

size of the ball. & passed
out through my coat on the
left shoulder, it was only
a slight wound, and did 
not prevent my running.
I was 24 days getting through
to our lines. I got to our lines
on the 21st of Jan at South
Washington, at the mouth of
Tar river in North Carolina,
on Pamlico Sound. There I
got transportation to New Berne
at which place I wrote to you
directing the letter to Nashville
but Chatfield says the letter
has not got here yet.
I went from Newbern to Fort
Monroe, from there to Baltimore 
from there to Cincinnati, from 
there to Louisville & from there to
Nashville. I shall take the 3 Oclock 
   this evening
train^ for Chattanooga. I am
disappointed at not seeing you

but am glad you are at home.
I should like to have gone
home, the boy who escaped
with me went home to stay a
while before reporting to his
regt, but I thought it my duty
to go to my regt as soon as I
could. I wrote to my Co & Regim-
ental commanders as soon as
I got into our lines telling
them that I had escaped &
was on my way to the regt.
Chatfield has let me have
five dollars which if you
will pay him I will send you
as soon as I get paid. I
wanted to get some things
to take to the regt. Which I
cannot get there, such as
tobacco emery paper coffee [illegible in original]
& [illegible in original] Andrew Jewell tells
me there is a comission
here for you as 2d Lt in Co I

which I am glad to hear
give my love to all the folks,
and all write to me. I am
anxious to hear from home.
I suppose you would like to know
how I travelled through the
Confederacy without getting
caught but I havnt time
to write much. I traveled by
night & lived in the wood
by day, stole chickens & sweet
potatoes & cooked them in 
the woods. crossed streams  
where the bridges were guarded
by making rafts of [rails?] & [illegible in original]
You must write to me as soon
as you get this & tell me of
your prospects
		H B Jewell
P.S. Direct to
       Chattanooga