Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2011, All Rights Reserved U.S. Data Repository Please read U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott for the U.S. Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ ====================================================================== From William Howes to his wife, Lizzie ====================================================================== Look Out Valley Tenn April 10th 1864 Dear Lizzie, I received a letter from you yesterday dated april 1st Was very glad to hear from you all once again. My health is very good at present. You Spake about our having the Small Pox out here. We have got one case of it about twenty rods from our camp but I guess there is no danger from it the Docts Say there is not any danger if we do not go any nearer to it you wanted to know whether my vasnation worked it did not and I dont know as it would if I Should try it again I have thought Some of trying it again but do not know whether I Shall or not I Shall ask the Doct what he thinks about it I wrote a letter to you last Wednesday in I wrote about our Corps & the 12th being Consolidated it is not going to make any difference [page 2] with us unless the put our two Brigades together if they do that all the change that it will make will be in the Lieut Comdg our Brigade he will have to go back to his Regt. I do not know what the number of the Corps is to be we heard first that it was to be the 1st then the next day it was the 20th Corps and I guess that is what it will be Comd by old Joe Hooker how the boys do like him they say give us Hooker and we will ya it but I have not seen one yet that feels bad about Howard leaving them he was never popular with the Corps he has Commanded it about a year and I never new of a Cheer that the boys ever gave him he was a hard man to march his men and then he put so much confidence in these damed citizens around here to Suit most folks if a man came to him and told him he was a Methodisd that [page 3] was enough that was all the proof he wanted of his loyalty he has had the Corps Pr***** (Prisoners?) to work for a long time at work putting up a meeting house for the old rebels here in this valley he has a Sunday School here and Supertended it him Self had these old hags round here come to it he Would Make a better Sunday School teacher then Gen in my opinion but then I Suppose this is Contrband to Write Such Stuff as this espescialy of a Major Gen but then I know who I am writing to I wrote a letter to you dated the 30th of March I think I sent in it a picture of Hooker and a letter from Silas I should like to know whether you ever got it or not I did not think at the time to put on but one Stamp and I do not know as it will go through wirte and let me know if you ever [page 4] received it you Say that you never received that Stick that I Sent by Bemis he carried the Stick home with him and his Children tore of the direction so he could not tell where to Send it he wrote to me to know how to direct it and I answered it nearly a month ago I should think you would get it before long I will try and Send two or three Sticks home if I can get a chance I have got one that a man gave me that was upon the Mountain the other day did you send any letters papers and envelopes by H Davis if you have not I wish you would Send Some by mail well I do not think of any more to write to day So I will close by giving My love to Father & Mother and all the rest of the folks tell Ida & George to be good Children good bye for this time except this from your husband William ====================================================================== Transcriber's note: There were no punctuation marks used in this letter.