Decatur, Alabama

Wednesday morning, August 21^st, 1862

My Dear Wife:-

Yours of the 14 inst just came to hand yesterday morning.  I had wrote you a note and enclosed it in a letter to Nancy, the night before.  I will now try to answer yours.

It seems to me that you have not warmed up on the war question.  I expect that if you was a man you would be for joining the army yourself.  If you had no children to take care of I would have you come for a nurse in the hospital, but you can fill your station at home, and others can fill theirs in the field and in the hospitals.

I am sorry you did not receive my letter of the 31^st ultimo sooner, for I would like for our Company to be entirely full.  We have had the largest Company in the Regiment ever since we have been in the service and I want us to keep it so.

We will soon send a man from our Company to recruit.  He will visit you.  If there is then any one that still wishes to join sooner, they can come along to Cairo and be sworn in and there receive a pass and all the papers to bring them here.  Tell them to come along, or get ready to come with our recruiting officer.

I am surprised to hear that Noah and Tom has joined the army.  What does Elizabeth think now of those that goes to war.  Are they all fools now that got to the war.  Then where is the threat of Tom that they could not compel him to go.  I am glad that they have changed their minds.

I am glad to hear of so many turning out of our neighborhood.  I only regret that they held back so long.  I have no doubts but they all regret it even worse than I do.

I certainly think that when this vast new army is brought into the field, the war will be pushed forward to an immediate terminus.

We have had no papers for some time and as a consequence, know nothing of what is going on, except of the action of the guerillas in this neighborhood.  The guerillas keep picking away at us every time they can catch two, three or four alone, then they tear down the wires, shoot at the cars etc.

I am very sorry to hear that Rollin is afflicted with the summer complaint.  I hope he is well before now.  I hope you will get him well if he is not already so.  If you want any money to let your father have, I will send you some or you can get it from pap, if he has it.  If your father wants any, tell me in your next letter and I will send you a few dollars by mail.

If we are paid off about payday, I will send you some by express.  It will be but a few days now till we will make out our payrolls, but I don’t much believe we will be paid for some time, it may possibly be some months before we are paid.  One company of our Regiment has not been paid for six months, till a few days ago.  They had been detached from the Regiment.  We are no scattered along this road in such a manner that it will be a wonder if we are paid for some time.

The 51^st Regt. is along here and they have not been paid for 4 months.  The health of our Company is very good.  The only thing I dread is the ague.  The boys are in the river almost every day and some of them two or three times a day.  William Arnold looks pretty slim, but I think he will stand the work.  John Bell and Albert are both on picket today, the rest on patrol.                                                          William A. Smith