Letter #7

Cartersville Georgia
August 5 - 1864

Dear father
            I suppose you are anxious to hear from me often and more so now, knowing that I have been sick.  I have not recovered yet, but feel pretty well most of the time.  I do not seem to gain strength enough to do any work yet, am a little feverish a good deal of the time, but I think I shall get over it befor a great while & perhaps be better than I was before.  We have a very peasant & comfortable place to camp here & as I do not have anything to do but wait on my self I can keep comfortable this warm weather.

            Three Gentlemen just from Lapeer were down here on a visit.  They stayed with us two nights then two of them went on down to the front to Atlanta.  I expect they will be back in a fiew days then we shall hear something about how things are going down there  - havnt heard any reliable news for some time.  A fiew days ago all of the cavelry force that were here guarding this place were ordered to the front & I expect they are having a desperate struggle there, & I hope a final one.

            We get some flying reports here here about how the fighting is going but as they are not reliable it is no use to circulate them.

            The business of those gentlemen from Lapeer – Mr Hemmingway, Evens & Warren – is to get substitutes or men to fill their town quota.  They did not expect to come any farther than Nashville, but when they got there they thought they would pay their own expences & come down here & see the country & army & a good many friends & acquaintances.  They said it was astonishing how Sherman ever drove Johnson through a country so well fortified, naturally & artificially, as this is through here, & a distance of over one hundred miles.  Well I think so to but it has been done & I hope he may continue as successful until they are obliged to lay down their armes.

            Well father I should be glad to hear from home again, it seems strange why I do not get your letters if you write, and I can not but think you have writen, some of you.  The last I received was writen the last of May.  Emma wrote, that Benezett had been sick some – has he recovered & how do you all do.

            Hopeing to hear from you soon I remain your Aff Son.
                        John Hough
            Direct – Co. I first Mich Regt
                                    E & M
                                                Nashville
                                                            Tenn

I expect we will get two months pay, now in a fiew days.  16 dollars a month now, wont get any bounty untill next pay day.