Johnsonville Tenn Nov 16th /64
	Dear parents I now
sit down to write you a
few lines I am well and
hope you are the same
I recieved Pas letter which
was written at Jackson when
he was there and was verry
glad to hear that he was
exempted from the draft
I hear there is another call
for five hundred more
and I want to know if
that will have effect those
that were cleared this
time. has it been verry
cold weather this fall
in michigan. how much 
are potatoes a bushel now
when you write tell me
all the news. tell me who


is elected for Governer
and president as you most 
likely know by this time
ma say Isaac and Hiram
Lovejoy are bound to get
rich out of the war.
we cant send Home clothing
from this army there is
an order forbidding it
or I would send Home
some to I mean to send
more money in the future
how much have I sent now
when you write tell me
as I have kept no acount
and also tell me what you
have done with it. because
I want to know how are
all the Girls around 
our House tell some
of them to write to me
and I will answer their
letter with pleasure

tell Hank, that I 
got the song Book
and will write him a
letter before long. and
tell Ellen I want to hear
from her to who keeps
our school this winter
when you write tell me
Arnold is well and so
is Warren he makes a good
Seargeant. I have not quite
ten months to serve and
then I will come Home
and finish my trade
and be some body besides
a soldier Boy. but that
is a noble calling and
in a nobler cause our
country is in danger
and needs help and I
am willing to lay my 
life down for it if it
will be but I hope I shant


have to do that and I guess
I shant as I think most of
our hard fighting is over [for?]
now a little with Pa ......
Pa you said in one 
of your letters hurrah
for little Mac and I
was sorry to hear it
as I think the platform
he run on a poor thing
and what he said in his
letter of acceptance was
Good but if he lived up
to it he would be a
Traitor to his party. and 
if he lived up to his platform
he would be a traitor to his 
Country. Old Abe is the
man for me and I 
hope he is elected if
he is we will have peace
before long and a permanent
one to so Good Bie. I remain
your loving son Israel
                             G
	            Atkins
Hurrah for Old Abe