Dear Parents:
Once more I have the pleasure of seating myself to write to you. I am happy to inform you that I am blessed with health at this time and hope these few lines will find you all enjoying the same blessing. I am not going to write very much tonight, I am just merely going to begin a letter. I am looking for a letter from you. I think I will get one tonight and if I do I want to have my letter ready to leave by tomorrow s mail. I have no news of importance to write you this time, except there are 3 new cases of smallpox. I am getting afraid it is going to get in our regiment. If it does I expect you will find me in bed some morning when you get up. I don t think I can stand my ground against the smallpox. I could stand the Yankees, but if the Yankees and smallpox both get after me I think I will run. We are having some very rough weather now snowy and sloppy. I will now stop till morning. They are beating tattoo and I must go answer to my name after which I will go to bed and take a nap if I can. Well sure enough before I got out of bed, orderly Patterson, came around with the mail and there was a letter for me. I knew the handwriting as soon as I looked at it. I opened and read it with much satisfaction and am truly glad to hear that you were all well. It found me in pretty good health and I hope the good Lord will be merciful and continue his blessing upon us while we are separated by this unholy war. You complain of having no news to write. These things never bother me, I sit down and write what ever comes into my mind and write till I get my paper full. I will suggest a few things for you to write about next time. It makes no difference how simple it seems, anything that is going on at home or throughout the neighborhood is interesting to us here in camp. Our ever busy minds are continually wandering back to the scenes of home and all the little amusing incidents that render home happy and desirable. Now we have no means of knowing these things, but by reading letters from our relatives and friends. You wrote in one of your letters some time ago about Cousin Elizabeth Seagle and Jim Grey having run off. I have wondered if it is true. What is cousin Judy doing since Jonas is dead. I know she is lonely. Is Jake Thomas still at home or has he gone back to his regiment? Has diphtheria died out in the neighborhood? Is John Irvin, Wess Louthian, Andy Hilten and others at home yet or did the last call get them? Tell me how the children are getting along every time you write. Tell me how many hogs you killed and if you will have enough meat to do you, and how the wheat and rye looks and so on. I think you can write next time if you answer my questions. I am going to send some papers home that I want preserved for the sake of the likenesses they contain. It is a paper I am taking called the "Southern Illustrated News" and is published at Richmond. Another paper I am taking is the "Lynchburg Republican" and the "Holston Journal" Consequently I get all the news pretty much both religious and political. I must now close, I can imagine I see you reading my letter. Give my respects to the neighbors generally, and particularly to Jake Thomas' family. 

I remain as ever your affectionate son, 
Thomas W. Fisher                                     
 

COPYRIGHT© 1998 Dianne McGinley Gardner - All rights reserved.  Copies for personal use and research may be freely made.  Commercial use is prohibited without permission.