Augustthe17, 1862 



I 



Camp Smith, Whitfield 



Dear wife and children, mother and sisters, 



brother and uncle. I take my pen in hand 



to let you know that I am well at this 



time. Hoping these few lines may come safe 



to hand and find you all enjoying the same 



blessing. I received your kind letter. I was glad 



to hear that you was all well. I can inform 



you that we have to leave this place. We 



are going to Louden, Tennesee. We start a 



Tuesday morning the 19th. We have drawn our 



arms: double barrel shotguns, caterey boxes(?), 



haver sacks, canteens, saddle bags, bridals, halters, 



and some has drawn cavalry saddles. 



Catherine, I sent you $20 dollars by Thomas 



Butt. I would have sent you more but 



cold weather will be here directly and I 



want me an overcoat. I will buy me an overcoat 



and I want you to make the balance 



of my clothes against cold weather. 1 pair socks, 



I pair gloves, 1 pair pants. Catherine, i want you 



to send my boots as soon as you can. Catherine, 



it takes a heap of money here to do a man's 



washing. Tobacco .50 a plug, paper $1.75 . I don't 



know when I will draw any more money. All 



the boys has been in three months and has 



not drawn their wages yet. Catherine, if anybody 



wants to take my place and take 



that lot and $75 dollars you come with 



them to the camps. When we get to Louden 



we will be nearer home than here. It is one 



hundred miles from here to Louden. Catherine, 



I sent vou a seventy five cents in a 



letter. I will send you 50 cents in stamps. 



I will send you some change to lift my letters 



50 cents. I would like to see you mighty well 



if I could. I want you to see Siles Ledfor (Silas Ledford ?) and 



tell him to pay that money to you and 



you pay it to Mother and credit her note $2.50. 



Then put down in my day book $2.50 cents on 



Ledford's note. Look at the note that Mother 



has and see the credit and put down the day 



and the date in the day book where I have the 



balance what I had recieved. The news is said 



to be that all men who has been discharged 



has to come back into service unless been 



discharged by the Secretary of War. I don't 



know the certainty of it. Catherine, I want you 

 and my folks to write to me often. Show the 

 letter to them. All write together. Write me all 

 the news and I will do the same. All do the 

 best you can. I must come to a close by 

 saying I remains yours truly 'till death. 



C. D. Epps 



!;>-, 



