Transcription
Nashville Sept 4th [1863]
Dear Brother,
Having a few hours leisure I will participate in the enjoyment of addressing a few lines to you, although I have not much of any interest to communicate to you, only that I am as yet in the enjoyment of good health, also the rest of the boys of your acquaintance in our Co. are all well. We have been here since the 19th ult. and indications are pretty strong that we shall stay here a long while. We are in camp only a few hundred yards outside the city limits. 4 Co. are doing garrison duty in Fort Negley and the rest have to perform Picket and Train Guard duty which is very pleasant here, although we come on duty often. I have been on the train once, the trains go down as far as Stevenson, Alabama, a trip generally takes 2 days. It gives us a good opportunity to see the country, although a good many accidents occur on account of the roughness of the track, nobody of our Regt. has been seriously hurt yet. Picket duty is also not very unpleasant on account of the travel on the Pikes which shortens the time and is not so lonesome as in other places where we have been where there is no travel at all. But one thing I am sorry to say is that men are not so saving with money as they were at other places. Most of them are anxiously waiting for the Paymaster now and it is only about 5 weeks since we were last paid off. I also notice that my pockets are getting lighter without me hardly seeing where it goes to which is always the case near a city. Nashville is a nice city, contains about 16,000 inhabitants. There are some splendid public buildings in it, such as the State House, Zollicoffer house, etc., the former excels everything I have seen yet. There are also some splendid residences around the city.
The weather is very comfortable here, the heat is not oppressive at all. Nights are even more cold than warm to be comfortable. I have not heard from home lately, the last I heard from them they were in good health yet at home, but I have had no letter from you since the one you wrote on the 4th of July. I would be very glad to hear from you. I would like to know all the particulars about you, your Co. Regt., etc. If you will get a chance to go home on a furlough or not, how it is about the satisfaction of the men generally, the Addison Guards especially, if they are disgusted with the war or not. Our men, although in good health, grumble a good deal and are not contented with their fare. Of course there are exceptions to this, some are contented and are in good spirits. I am sorry to say that most of your acquaintances are among the former, such as John H. Schmidt, L. Schmidt and others. But enough of that, it don’t make it any better to say much about so I will close hoping soon to hear from you in return. I remain Your
Affectionate Brother
A. H. Fischer
