Nashville March 28th 
Dear friends Ettie & Will
       Good Evening
I received your ever welcome
letter this morning and
take this oppertunity to
answer it. In the first place
I am well and that is the
main thing with a soldier
as long he is well he ought
to be satisfied. I know I
                                                 now
feel better [crossed out] [here] ^ than I should
if I had never enlisted and I
think I feel better than those
boys that are laying around
home making their brags about
going to dances and will feel better
if I live to see the war closed
I would like to see Anna first
rate. Tuesday morning
some boys came in from
the regiment so I did not
finnish your letter. about 
that picture that Anna
wanted I have not got any
now but if we stay here
until after payday I will
get some taken and send
her one and would like hers
in return. There are all sorts
of reports about our reenlisting
and going to the front and
going to the Potomac and I
dont know where all but when
they relieve us I will believe
that we are going to leave
Nashville and not till then
But it is not for a soldiers
               one day
to know ^ where he will be the
next and probably it is not
best that he should if he
did he would be worrying
about it all the time. You
spoke of our having nice warm 
weather here we have had very
little nice weather this spring
it is warm one day and the
next it is cold enough for an
overcoat and mittens last
night it rained very hard that
it washed the streets and 
sidewalks off nicely. The peach
trees are in blossome and cherry
trees some of the people are
making gardens. There is a
black man stays here that says
in Louisiana where he was
raised this time in the year
the corn is high (generally)
enough to hide a man walking
through it. All the apples we get
here we have to pay five cents for
for some and some get two for
five cents. But my stock of
writeable matter is about played
out so I will quit scratching
for this time Write as often as
you can make it convenient
and very much oblige your friend
                               James
[Written in pencil] [Brandish]