[Text is written to the left of a printed image: Febuary th 11 1863 Wednsday night; merphersboro tennisee; johnsons division kerks brigade 79. reg. ill. vol. general rosancranes, commander in. chief;] O my dear companion it is with a sober mind that i sit down to night to rite you another letter, the last letter i got from you was last sunday, it was the one the one that you rote at uncle jo millises, the one that he rote some in i tell you i was glad to get it but it was a letter that i could not read for crying, i have received a grate many letters since the batle, but i must acnoladge that i have only rote four letters to you since the batlte, but if you could know my condition, you would say that i was [emeiriable], i can not get paper for the want of money, and i guess that ive [put] never get any money, we stil have the promise of money but that is al the good it dos, i did not rite mutch in any thing mutch in any of my letters since the batle, but it was a thing imposible for me to rite any thing hardly for the want of paper and time and chance, but i wil [2] try to rite a litle more this time o my dear wife if we dont have trying times it is no use of talking, i have seen some soroful hours since i lost my good pardners, i dont know how in the world phebe jane wil stand it, for it appeared as though it would narely kill me to loose such a good friend [strikeout] as him, for he was the best man that i have seen since i left home, and here i am left, a lone without earthly friends, in a strange land but the god of glory is stil with me and i am determined to hold fast to my savior until i reach my hevenly home. but i hope i wil be permited to meet you and the children once more on earth, o it dos greave my hart to think of my dear litle family, and that is a good dele of my study, it is a truth a bout gorge cooper being dead, for i seen his grave a few weeks ago, at nashville when i was out there with the train after provision, he died with the measels, he never had mutch to say before he died, jo was shot through the breast i dont know how long he lived or any thing a bout it i did not see him fall, i wil try to tel you a litle about it, in the morning before new years we was marched out to meet the enemy we went a bout a quarter of a mile through the woods and came to an open field in reach of the enemys guns, we then advanced a bout ninty r[illegible]ds while the enemy was fireing on us [voly] after [voly], we run on to them until we got in a boat one hundred yards [of] them and then [illegible] opend fire on them by this time i lost sight of the boys, it was not long til orders came to retreat, then our hole regiment scaterd [3] and i got in with another regiment, and i did not get to my regiment for six days i dont mean to try to tell you any thing a bout my feelings or experiances, through that time for i cant do it. but in short i wil tel you that on the seventh day the batle being over i was detaild to help to bery the dead, for we could not do it any sooner for the re[illegible] held the ground where we first fought but now they had left and gone; i found jo one the line whare we first commenced fireing, he was shot in the breast i dont know whether it kiled him instintly or not but i think it did [Johen] was shot in the back it broke his back he was not very fur from jos i helped to bery them, the rebs took al they had and i had nothing to give them for we al lost every thing we had. they even took his profiles out of his pockets, i took a lok of his hare and put it in my pocket book, i am a fraid to send it in a letter for fear it wil not reach her, tel her if she wants to resk it to rite and let me know and i wil send it, i am determind to come home as soon as i can get a chance let it be long or short i am as stout as i ever was in my life, and hevier i was one hundred and sixty four pounds [4] [strikeout] i hope these lines wil find you al well and doing well i am a fraid you cant get clothes and such things as you nead but you wil half to do the best you can for i cant help it, i am not sory that [strikeout] i ever went to wor but if i was out now i never would go in another such a wore as this for it [is] an unholy wor on [both sides] if you knowed [what i do you] would think so two i dont want to tel [mutch], i think the wor wont last very long for the soldiers wont stay much longer, dont say [mutch] noway, you can rite any thing you want to for [nobody] reads my letters but my self, i must rite alitle to phebe jane so good by for this time Joseph Jones to N. E. Jones [envelope] To. Nancy .E. Jones Hutsenville. po. of Crawford. co ill with haste to Nancy .E. Jones in care of dr.. Holsted soldiers letter