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Transcription from Parsons book
Letter No. 3
Camp 45th Ala Tyners Station Tenn
July 14th 1863
Dear folk at home
I suppose I will have an opportunity to send you this letter by Mr. Clayton who I suppose will
leave here for home on tomorrow. I could have written to you this morning and sent by Mr.
Jackson if I had known a little earlier. I sent home by him an old vest and a shirt that I can get
along without for a while. Mrs. Collins from Decatur came to visit her "old man" today, and
he is now trying to procure board and lodging for her in the vicinity. I am sorry that I did not
advise you in my last letter to come on immediately, but then I did not think we would stay
here until now. I believe if you can get Unkle David Lockhart to come with you I would come
on. It is however risking a good deal for I do not think that we will stay here for a very short
while and we may move tomorrow or any time but if we should move and did not get off from
the rail road we might be as accessible as __________. If you should come, you must get off the
cars at Chickamauga Station about 12 miles before you get to Chattanooga and our camp 2 1/2
miles east of Chickamauga Station. It would be best for you not to attempt to find the camp
but to stop when you get off the train and contrive me word. I would very much like to see our
children but am afraid it would not be prudent under the circumstances to bring them.
I wrote to you a day or two ago in reference to buying land. I am still of the opinion that it is
best to invest our surplus cash in land but do not buy any more than you can pay cash for as
I think this is no time to contract debt even if the prospect for paying in future may be
considered easy.
I would also if necessary save enough money to prevent your being embarrassed for nescissaries.
It takes money to live nowadays and a good deal of it. I, at least, find it so and I guess you do
equally as much as I do. I am getting anxious to get a letter from home. I hear from you every
day or two but that does not satisfy me as much as a letter would.
You would laugh to see my house here. Just consider 3 man making a house out of one coverlid
to cover themselves, their goods & chattles and stock of provision. It is just so, the coverlid you
sent me serves for parlor, smoke house, bedroom, and sitting room for three.
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Letter No. 3 contined
I have just received your letter of 11th since writing the foregoing and in it you say that Unkle
Lockhart is coming the last of this week and that you can come with him. I wish you would
come as it is the best chance you will get and if you were to fail to find us he could be of service
to you. I have found out that no cotton clothing except shirts and drawers are suitable for camp
life on account of the difficulty of getting them well soaked. I shall consequently send home by
the first convenience all my cotton pants and coat. I have bought from the government a jacket
and pr of pants and can get along without the cotton ones for the present.
When you come do not bring any pants or clothing of any kind except my coat vest and some
socks. I have a coat and 2 pr of pants I could send home if I had a chance.
I would also advise you to be encumbered with as little baggage as possible in your visit as it is
very difficult to get it transported after you leave the rail road if you should have to leave it.
I have been sick for the last 3 days for the first time in ___ months. I am now getting better.
I have been troubled with indigestion and severe bowel complaint, consequence of exposure on
our __________ I suppose. And if you come you will not see the big man that I have been,
yet I have still more flesh than when I left home in May. God bless you all. I do hope you will
hear from Nick soon sister. I must think that he is among the men paroled at Vicksburg. You
may yet have happy times together but if it should be otherwise we should bow to the decree
of the one who doeth all things well. I have not heard from Fayette in a long time. I however
have good reason to believe that he is doing as well as could be expected.
I would very much like to see my good old mother, the being to whom I owe all the good that
is in me and I trust that God will yet give me the privilege to see her contented and happy but
I am afraid that a trip here would endanger her life and I would not advise it under the
circumstances. When we were at Wartrace I think I could have made her comfortable for a few
days but here I am conscious I could not unless circumstances change and the same way about
our children. God bless you all.
/s/ G.W. Cherry
I send this by mail and hope you may get it in time for Mr. Lockhart. Get him to advise you
in regard to what papers are necessary for you to get here. I don’t know.
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Cherry Family Civil War Letters
