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Camp Near Tullahoma Tenn Mch 15th 1863
Dear Fannie I received your letter
dated Mch 5th last night the first
I have got for a long time.
Your being absent from home partly
accounts for it I suppose. I hope that
you are fully well by this time, and
that your trip to Butler has done you
good As regards to the expense, I think it
money well spent if it has made
you more comfortable. In fact it
is not safe to lay money away now
or to lend it to any one, and if we
cannot buy property, that will keep
with it we had just as well spend
it economically, for our comfort and
pleasure, especially when we know
that we will be benefited by it
I am very glad that you attended
to the grapes, for they are my pets and
I hope we will eat grapes from them
together some day. I would impress it
upon your mind that it is more -
essential to make every thing you can
in the way of vegetables and other provisions
than to make money. Money is getting
to be cheaper than anything else and
of less value.
I had learned that you intended to -
send me a box by Worthy. I have -
[in the margin:]I am beginning to need the pants [illegible] sent me I hope they will soon come
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never received it or the letter you
wrote me at the time Worthy has
not come to us yet and it is very
uncertain when he will come
I got a small box in Capt Perrys
containing some soap, tobacco, soda
and spice, all of which I needed
except the tobacco. I can get that
here. I have written to Dr Brownfield
to send the boxes that Worthy was to
have brought by express, and I hope
they are on the way by this time
How I would like to see Buddy
eat sugar cane. I think I know just
how he looks, and have seen him in
my imagination several times to day
with a piece of sugar cane in
his hand and mouth. May the
Almighty protect him and my little
girl, and give me the pleasure of -
seeing them good and happy citizens
I am sorry that your Ma cannot
make it convenient to pay Mrs Tarver
in full. I think she would do well
to sell property enough to pay out
of debt for property now sells High
and money is easier to get than it
will be in future. One dollar now
is [crossed out: as easy]no harder to get than 50 cents after a
while. Money is now cheap and
every thing else high. after a while
every thing else will be cheap and
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money very high and hard to get
I think that the present time is
the best and easiest time for every
body to pay debts that we have had
or will have for some time I have
requested Brownfield to pay all mine
I think I had best write to your Ma
on this subject particularly and I hope
she will not think me meddlesome if
I urge the course I have recommended
It is her business and not mine. I know
she will do the best she can in the -
premises, and do not think she will blame
me for simply giving her my humble
opinion on the subject
I am very tired of this horrid
war, have been tired of it all the
time, but it appears that lately the
blues come on oftener and more severe
than ever before. I am faring
very well in the way of living
lately. I get good meat and corn
bread, a little flour, rice peas sugar
and molasses. If I could get vegetables
I would live finely. I have a good tent
and chimney, a scaffold to sleep on and
plenty to cover with, 3-legged stools to
sit on and newspapers to read every day
Will you please see Mrs Haygood
and pay her $(20.00) twenty dollars, provided
Mrs. Bozeman has not paid her for some
boots she sent to Bob Haygood. if Mrs
Bozeman has paid her you pay Mrs Bozeman
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I bought the boots. Mrs Bozeman
I heard bought them for Wilber[?] Gibbs
and they would not fit him so
I took them and am to pay either
Mrs Haygood, or, Mrs Bozemen for them
I have not heard from Ma or sister
in a long time. I wish I could get
a letter from them I got one from Fate
a day or two ago. he was well
and had been to Vicksburg speculating
on matches. he is now in Mobile again
I sent you a letter by Capt Tucker
containing two rings and a counterfeit
Treasury note, and have heard nothing
from it. The rings were for Em and
Sister, - by the way Em why don't
you still write to me. And, I have
never received but one letter from Ma
and sister since I have been in the
service Why is it so? My letters are
to all of you, and it would be -
useless to write to each one an -
individual letter, as they would
be repetitions of the same thing in
substance to the one I do write to
you all collectively
I can think of no news. I don't
know what is the prospect for a fight
here soon. Every thing is very calm
and still. I am afraid the storm
will soon come. I trust and hope
for a happy end to these difficulties
May God give us peace and a happy
life together thereafter Yours Truly
GW Cherry