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- Date: June 1, 1862
Author: John Yates
Addressee: Elizabeth Roberson Yates
Location: Columbia, TN
Description/Summary:
John is writing this letter while at Columbia, Maury Co., TN which is about 30 miles south of Nashville. He says he is well and hardy except that as explained in his previous letter [not in our inventory] he has injured his knee and had to be hospitalized for care. It is healing up but he can't walk on it; Johns is expressing his fear that it is stiff and it may be a permanent injury. As a result he has not been able to do his regular duty for almost a month. His regiment has gone on another scout into Alabama and should return in 10-12 days. About 160 men were left encamped in Columbia but he is unsure if any are his boys. He says he has a pretty good place to stay; he has a room with a straw bed to sleep on and plenty to eat; 4 men are sharing this one room: F.S. Mauck, H. Roby and G. Cotner all of Harrison Co., IN. Mauck waits on John because of his knee. Mauck is the cousin to Betsy Peterson and was in the hospital with the measles the same time John was there and has not gotten over the effects of them yet.
John says he had a dream last night and he can't forget how he felt in the dream. In his dream he has returned home during the night and went to the bed where twins Jony and Emmie were asleep; they awoke and both fetched me around the neck and I heard their sweet little voices saying "My Pap!" "My Pap!". When I awoke with my arms hugged up as if I had their sweet little bodies I then cried and went back to sleep again. John says he is sending a song to have some fun with. He also explains that someone named Harris of TN who he got to know turned out to be a traitor and deserted to the CSA when General Buell's CSA forces came into the area. [It is believed that the men mentioned are as follows: Farleigh S. Mauck, Harrison W. Roby and either John or Jacob Cotner (both served in the 38th Regiment).]
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