Transcription
Nashville Jan 16th 1864
Dear Brother,
It is so long since I have heard from you, that I hardly know where you are at present, if you are sick, or well; I have written to you, since I received your last letter, but I am afraid my letters have not reached you, or yours me; brother Henry was here on a short visit from Christmas to New Year, at that time all at home were well. I have not heard from there since. It has been quite cold here this winter, till a few days ago when the weather became more moderate the ice has been so thick that it would bear men easy. the boys was out several times skating. I have seen in Chicago Papers that it was so cold there this winter as it has not been for a long time there were many cases where persons were frozen to death even here at Nashville 6 Soldiers were frozen to death one night, coming from the front on the cars. Louis Schmidt of our Co has gone home on a Furlough, his time will be out in a few days. he got Furlough on account of sickness although he was nearly well when he left. Nearly all the old troops in this Department have reenlisted for 3 years most all have passed through here. the city is always full of Veteran Soldiers. Our Colonel has also tried to get our Regt the privelage[sic] of reenlisting but I do not think that it will be approved of. I believe over 5/6 of the Regt would enlist if they only could, but it would be giving us too great an advantage over the old Regts as we have only served about half of our time yet. Our Brigade has been attached to the 11th Army Corps, and I believe that as soon as the Campaign commences again we will have to go to a worse place than Nashville.
Write to me how it is in the Department where you are, if any of the Regts reenlist how you feel about the war and how the citizens there feel. I have seen in a Chicago paper that your Regt was in a battle write me all the particulars what kind of a Country and climate it is there, I suppose there is no danger of freezing to death there. if there is much sickness there. The small pox have been here quite a while 3 members of our Regt died of it there are 7 or 8 cases now. none of our Co have had it yet but as I know nothing interesting I will not detain you by this anymore hoping soon to receive an answer to this
I remain.
Your affectionate Brother
A. H. Fischer
