Nashville Nov 3rd 1863
Dear friends Ettie & Will
       Good Afternoon.
I received your very welcome
letter yesterday morning
and having a few leisure
moments I will try and
answer it. In the first
place I am well and that
is the main point in
                                              t
soldiering one of the greates^
blessings that can be bestow
-ed on soldiers is good
health. Today I have been
out into the country
after wood. It seems good
to get out of the city
                              is
once in a while. It^ [crossed out] [was]
rather a bad day to be
out today for it rains.
I like to get out now
for of all seasons I like
this the best of any in
the year. Now it is that
the people are gathering
their fruit and other winter
stores. Charlie keeps you
posted in the way of news
so I will not write or try
to write any. Our duty is
about the same it has always
been. The boys are all well
as far as I know. Jack is 
on secret police duty yet
with Capt Reed he likes
it pretty well I guess he
thinks that capt Reed is about
soso and the Capt thinks
the same of him so they
get along very well. Capt
Reed goes out into the country
thirty or forty miles some
-times Jack told me the last
time they were out they [crossed out] [did]
was not out of their
saddles twenty minutes in
forty eight hours and went
over some [crossed out] [of] places where
one would not think man
and beast could travel
they had to get of and
lead their horses he said
they rode right through one
house. There was just a great
rush for the windows to
see the circus horses they
are fixing to have a circus
and they are round now
with a brass band to draw
the attention of the citizens
they have some [crossed out] [of] very passible
horses. A circus is something
that I never attended in
my life. I have been to
one caravan that is all
We do not have changes
enough to give much to
write about it the same things
over and over every day and
as it is supper time I will
quit for this time write
as often as you can make
it convenient and very
much oblige your friend.
If the folks at home
only knew how much good
a letter from home does
a soldier I think they would
write often. When one gets
the blues to get a good 
letter form home or any
friend it seems to liven
him up. I miss Emmas
letters very much before she
got so low that she could not
write she used to write often
I can hardly realize that I
never shall see her smiling face
more but so it is. Two of my dearest
friends gone never to return.
But I must stop so good night
                        James