[Penciled in on top of Scan 1] [12/4/64]

Nashville Tenn Dec 4th 1864
	Dear Parents it has been
some time since I last
wrote to you. I should have
written sooner if I 
posibly could but we
have been on the move
eversince I wrote last
I am well and hope
you are the same. we
left Johnsonsville the 23d
of last month and went
to Columbia Tenn after
Hoods Army and were
obliged to fall back to
franklin where we had
one of the hardest battles
of the war for the time
and numbers ingaged
the charged our works som
twelve or fourteen times and

were repulsed every time
with heavy slaughter our
Killed wounded and missing
amounted to about 1,500
while theirs was 12,000.
you will see it before you
get this verry likely. I was
in the fight there were
verry few killed in our
Regt as we had good breast
works. we retreated from 
franklin the last day of
last month and are now
safely lodged in Nashville
behind good breast works
with the rebs in our front
there is heavy cannonading
on our right while I am writing this
verry probably we shall
have. some hard fighting
to be here bfore long

    but I have no fear
   for the result as we are
in breastworks that a
shell will not affect in
the least. Warren and Arnold
are well. David Arnold
arived the 26th, and was
in the fight he done verry
well indeed. and so did
all of our new recruits
I have not heard from
any of you since Pa wrote
to me at Jackson. I was
glad to hear he was
exempted as I hated to
go in the army for
another year which
I surely should have done
if they would have [execped?]
of me. when you write
tell me all the news
and write soon as I want

want to hear from
you verry but no more
at present so good bie
I remain as ever you
Affectionate Son
	Israel G Atkins

     send me a few
          stamps



[Penciled in]

David Arnolds
1st Battle

[End]