D. H. Blair, Company D, 45th Ohio Volunteers, 2nd Brig, 1st Div., Army of the
Cumberland
North bank of Chattahoochee river, Near Atlanta Ga.
July 10th 64
Dear Sister
Your kind favour of the 23d ult. containing the "Greenback" came to hand this evening
and I haste to reply. The boys of the company are all well that are not mentioned in or
before my last. Bennett Reed, Blair, & others are all right. As soon as I got the money I
went and spent it for paper and invelopes and how much do you think it bought (only 25
invelopes 18 sheets of paper) like these. I guess hereafter I will have them sent by mail
from the north. Our mail rout is pretty safe now and you can send your photo in your
next. We have only had 3 or 4 mail trains captured since we came into this state and they
have came about every day. Sometimes old Foster or some other rebs takes a scout round
us to our rear to molest our "cracker line" but they generally have to get out of that in a
hurry when Gen. Stoneman gets at them.
We have driven old Joe Johnson over 100 miles and have had to fight more or less for
every inch of that and since two months ago last evening we have not seen a day without
hearing the boom of artillery and most of the time, musketry.
I wrote a piece for the paper and if they are good enough to print it you can see something
about our times here. We shoved the rebs across this river on the 5th and have been lying
in camp near the river ever since and doing nothing but wash, rest, read, & write but the
"Johnnies" are on the other bank of the river and won't let no wash in the river without
throwing lead at us And would you think old "Joe" tried today to turn our left flank and
cross the river again to our left where it is not very far from the railroad in our rear. and
we had to get up & get out just at the heat of a very hot day and march like heroes but we
made old "Jo, keep back there." I saw N. Johnson on the 7th he was fat and saucy and
wondered why Alex did not write to him.
I had a letter from Sam and his photo. lately he was well and still at Chatanooga his photo
looks rather shaggy owning to the long whiskers. I have not seen Jo or Jimmy since soon
after I last wrote cousin A Morrow is in this army but I could not get to go to see him.
Uncle Wm martins were well not long since also cousin L.J. Morrow. I have not heard
from other lately. Morrow has not yet written to me. I want to write to him now. I should
like to have the picture of Alex & family also father & mother. That heavens blessings
may ever be yours (each one) and that all yours and other prayers for the soldiers and our
country may be duly answered is the prayer of
Your devoted brother D H Blair
