Nashville. Feb 13th 1864 
Dear & Respected Brother & Sister 
         I read your 
letters some days since. & read them with interest 
& pleasure. I also read a letter this Morning from 
Gryphena. & Ma. & was very glad to hear from you all 
again. I am glad to hear that you keep well. for 
truly Health is a good thing. & I am glad that I can 
say that I as well as many others from that part 
of the Land. are Blessed with the Same. 
your Brother James just left with his [illegible]. for  
the Chattanooga. Depot, where his duty calls Him 
at this hour of the Day. A. Carver sits on the Bank 
with me. Employed the same as I am at this presant 
time, I have not Seen Ralph since morning He is well 
in Short. I think we are all well as can be expected 
I see [illegible] & Uncle [illegible] quite often. & the rest 
that came with them [crossed out] [them] they appear to like it well 
it is not as Soldiering. if they do not like it they can 
let it alone & quit any time they choose. but not so 
with the Soldier. if they dont like it, they say well what 
are you agoing to do about it. but I think we all like it 
Soldiering is a fine thing. & as the Boys say
Who would not be a Soldier 
Since I last wrot you, another one of our Company 
has gone to His long Home. & a quite a number from 
the Regiment have gone to await their trial. to awake 
not, till the Dead shall arrise till the Graves shall give  
up their Dead, & some of them I fear put off the day 
of their Repentance to long. A Sergeant of Co A Died a few 
days since. He was a Swearing Drinking Man 
you wished to know the cause of Philips death 
he had not been well for some time. he appeared to have 
a kind of Lingering desease about Him. He was far from 
being well when He was taken with Small Pox. which I believe 
was the cause of His Death although he purhaps might of 
got well. had he had no other desease with the Small Pox 
we cannot assertain the [illegible] as we would like to. after 
he left the Regiment. we have not the means of finding out 
the Peticulars, as we could of done was it not such a  
Contagious Desease. & we were not allowed to visit Him 
I realy think the Nighbors should take pity on Mr 
[illegible] & help him in His time of need 
I think I will be down & help cut that [illegible] 
you save it will you till I come. or you may let some 
of those [illegible] Young. Ladies of Wright. & such 
as [illegible] help you in my place I mean after you get the [illegible]
Malvina you wished to know what I would take 
for that table Spread. I had about forgot that I 
ever owned one. but I will tell you my terms. which 
I think are quite easy Complied with.. the Spread is 
yours. I ask no pay, for I have been paid for it many 
time. take it as a presant from a Brother 
but I have not time write further my duties call me 
Good bye 
I remain as ever your Brother 
AW Barber 
Wm Malvina & Hattie