East Port Miss. March 2

My dear sister
		It is a long time since
I have written to you directly & I believe
it is about as long a time since I
have heard from you, but I have
written the girls as often as I could &
have expected you would read the
letters –    For a long time I have
been quite unsettled – that is I have
been on the move somewhere nearly
all the time – Since we started out last
spring on the Atlanta campaign I
have not been quietly [illegible]
From Atlanta we came to Chattanooga
& from Chatta. to Nashville & after
the Nashville battle I was kept moving
about on the Rail Road at different points
until about the 1st of February I thought
I would enjoy the house I had fixed
up about the 1st of November [illegible] in

Chattanooga and took my wife I was there
& had hardly got there when I was
ordered to move my H.Q. to
Nashville – Came up to Nashville &
brought every thing along – we did
not get a house to suit us so we pro-
cured a good boarding house directly
across from my main office &
had not really got settled at boarding
when I was ordered to take a trip
down into Dixie – I left Nashville
on the 19th of July & went inside the
rebel lines as far as [illegible] from
which place I telegraphed the rebel
Genl. Forrest that I had some impor-
tant business with him & wanted to
have a personal interview. – Genl.
Forrest was at West Point. But he
telegraphed me he would meet me on
the evening of the 24th and at 9:00 on
the evening of the 24th he came and
I had a session with him until
4:00. The next morning – he received

me very cordially – & we talked
over our old Murfreesboro fight
& my capture [illegible] he & spent the
night very agreeable – my
principle business with him
was to arrange for the exchange
of prisoners of war – but I found
that he had not the authority to
consummate the arrangement
but we made an agreement
subject to the of approval of Lt. Genl.
Taylor – He left at 8:00 on the
morning of the 25th & went to Merid=
ian & consulted Genl. Taylor who
sanctioned the agreement & he
telegraphed me on the 27th to that
effect & promised to send some
10,000 of our prisoners to [illegible]
when I am to [illegible] them
& deliver him an equal num—
ber at the [three words illegible] 

I am now waiting for him
to send the prisoners – I found
that the citizens of several counties
almost the entire northern portions
of Mississippi stript of every thing
in the shape of [Eatables?] by Genl. Hoods
army when he was so badly whipt
by our Hero Thomas – and as the
lower part of Miss. is well stocked
with corn I made an arrangement
with Genl. Forrest to allow him
to shift by Rail Road corn & meal
to supply the destitute rebel families
in northern Miss – the trains to be
[illegible] under flag of truce & for no
other purpose but to carry corn
such trains are not to be seized or
molested by our troops in case we
should see fit to make raids into
or take possession of that part of the
country – So you see Helen that
even in war the horrors can be
somewhat ameliorated – These
families would starve if supplies

could not be sent there – but on
my rations here, within 30 miles
of starving women & children
I find thousands upon thousands of
bushels of corn spoiled – rotted – wasted
but it could not be avoided & tho
the contrast is terrible between their
locality & [illegible] [our?] I have recently
visited, it is one of the instances of
the times – Twenty or thirty & I
do not know but twice that number
of sacks of corn were piled upon the
banks of the river here & the recent
protracted  & heavy rains have
produced such a flood as to inundate
the whole country & now all this
amount of corn lies under water
all the low lands are covered & steam
boats are now running, where two
days ago I crossed & traveled on
horse back & saw wagons traveling

instead of a river the water appears
like our vast Lake – I am stepping
on board a steam boat with the very
comfortable quarters so I don't from
being drowned out, as the Camps located
about here have been – I am stopping
with my old friend & fellow staff officer
Col. Mackay Chief Q Master of the Dept
& passing away the time as agreeably
as could be expected – How is my darling
little Maggie – I wrote some time ago
for a picture of her but have not got it yet
I frequently look at the one I have but I
know she has changed so much since it
was taken that it does not represent her as
she is now – I hope you will be able
to get a good one of her pretty soon and send
to me – I hope to be able to visit you & see
Maggie & Kittie this summer & intend
to do so if possible – if I don't do so I
think Jos. will go [the?] [illegible] – Tell
Maggie she must write Papa a letter &
keep her sweetest kisses for me – she must
be [nice?] & love Kittie & [illegible] – & papa
will come & see her sometime kiss her
for me
	affectionately your brother
			John

Give my love to Johnny