January 29, 1864 pg 1

2nd Division
[Letterhead:] HEAD-QUARTERS 2nd Division NINTH ARMY CORPS,
Lyons Mills Tenn Jan'y 29th 1864

Dear Nellie:
This is a strange time
and year to answer your blessed
letter of July 21st 1863. But my
reasons for so great delay are
as plenty as blackberries. The
first one is, I only got your
letter yesterday -- a long, lone
wanderer -- that epistle. And out
of the multitude of my reasons
for negligence, this perhaps is
my best one. On my word, I
thought you had dropped me
altogether; and the promptness
with which I respond after
receiving your kind greetings
should tell you how relieved
and delighted I am to know
that even so far back as last