1864 
Decatur Alabama June 21st 
Brother Wm 
         Your welcomed letter of 
June 12th came to hand on the 20th of 
the present Month  It found me in 
the enjoyment of good health but Somewhat 
diferantly Situated from what I was the 
last time I Saw you  We left Nashville 
on Saturday the 11th of June about 12 oclock 
there was fully the usual amount of [illegible] 
& dallying about but with all the delays 
& causealities we arrived at Steveson Ala 
Sunday morning about 4 oclock here we had 
to Stay untill 4 oclock pM when we got 
aboard & Started fot this place we arrived at 
the Junction about 10 oclock in the evening 
here we bunked untill morning when we 
took up our trappings & Started for this 
place which is about 3 miles distant we got 
in here about 7½ oclock it commenced 
raining about the Time we Started from the
Junction & was raining when we got at Decatur 
& to add to the Comfort of the Occasion when 
we got in this Desolated Town the Soldiers 
here began to Scream & hollow & Dollars 
So you See that our Name had reached 
Decature before our Reg't did Now a little 
by way of description of the country we passed 
through from Nashville to Stevenson looked 
Somewhat like the country around Nashville 
or So much of it as I Saw what it looked 
like or that portion which we passed through 
after dark I cannot tell but at Stevenson 
the Hills begin to rise high up in the air 
& here is where you can See rock piled upon 
rock Such is the State of the Earths Surface 
for the most part from Stevenson to Decatur 
Decatur is Situated on the Tennessee River 
& from present appearance was a Snug little 
Town before the war broke out But now it 
is in ruins but few houses are left Standing 
the Tenn River is a very nice Stream it is 
larger than the Cumberland although the 
Shoals below prevent navigation it is Said
that the River Spreads out to the width of 3 
miles at the Shoals & the Shoals are Said to 
extend up & down the River for the Space of 
16 miles we crossed the River on a pontoon 
Bridge   The Junction of which I have before 
Spoken is the Charleston & Memphis & 
Tennessee & Alabama Rail Roads   The country 
around here appears more even the Soil is rich 
& I Should Judge with proper cultivation would 
produce abundantly    We are now doing picket duty 
& working on the Fortifications So the Boys Say 
that Spades are Trumps    We get our Rations 
of hard Tack & Sowbelly which relishes very 
well with me a good appetite makes good 
meals   We have had about the usual amount 
of Stakeing down & drilling Stakes haveing 
mooved camp twice Since we first Staked 
down I have Seen but few wild Rebbs Since 
we came here but the prospect is that we 
Shall have a chance to See plenty of them before 
long as I understand the 18th is to go to Scouting 
before long we are haveing a right Smart rain 
to day the Boys are Some of them fishing
William   I went & Saw Morris a day 
or two before I left Nashville he was 
So as to be able to walk about but looked 
bad I reckon that he must have had the 
Small pox very bad he told me that he 
Should Start for home as Soon as he 
got able I would like to know how he 
is & wether he is home or not 
I told Frank what you wished me to concerning 
the Overcoat he was well pleased that you 
got it Safe through [crossed out] [Safe] & Said that you 
had a cheap coat 
   And now I believe that 
I must close I Am as ever your Brother 
James Lickly 
 
 
To William Lickly 
Direct your letters to [crossed out] [Decl] 
Decatur Alabama