Thursday, September 29, 1864 - Atlanta, Georgia

Camp 20^th Regt, C,V,

Atlanta, Ga, Thursday Sept 29^th/64

Dear & beloved Wife

I received your letter dated Sept 11^th last night. I was glad to hear from you and to hear that you were all well. I had been looking for this letter nearly a week and had about come to the conclusion that I should not receive it at all. For the report was that there had been two or three trains burnt one of them being a mail train so I thought as I did not receive a letter when it was time for me to that it must have been on board of that train; But last night I come in from picket and was happy to find this letter waiting for me to peruse it, It found me well with the exception of a hard cold in the head one of these regular snotty colds, my head and eyes ached pretty bad last night and aches some this morning. Am well aside from this cold and hope you are the same to day and that this will find you the same when it reaches you. You say that it was reported that Atlanta was ours and wanted to know if it was so. It is indead but that is an old storry this way now for there has all most a month passed by since we occupyed the city. And it is not only occupyed by the 20^th Corps but two other Corps are in and around the city; The 20^th Corps was in the city a week or more before the other troops came back. The 20^th Corps was the first in the city and not only that but the city was surrendered by the Mayor and common council to our Division. But I considder each of the other Corps that belong to this army entitled to as much praise as though they were the first in the city for without the cooporation of the whole army Atlanta to day would have been in the Rebels posession, But as it was they was obliged to get up and get in a hurry I tell you, Now about those orders that I sent home last spring I dont remember in particular what month I sent them. I sent you two at any rate and I rather think the first was in the month of March that was the one that I bought and my own I sent in Aprill, If you have kept my letters you can tell by looking them over in the months of March and April. And if you have not kept the letters you can have them look on their books and see if they had one of you in the month of March if they did it is all right but if not there is something wrong for I remember well that you wrote that you received the two orders and that you let or was going to let Purple have them. I sent you one in the last letter that I wrote before this and I hope will get it for it would be bad to loose ten dollars these times. Wal Lucinda you want to know who I should vote for if I was at home. I should vote fore the same one that I shall now that I am down in Georgia for I expect to have the privalege of voting this fall for President. If I vote at all I shall give my vote to Abraham Lincoln. You may be surprised But I consider him just the man for the place at this time for I want this Rebellion to be put down as soon as posible and I think it can be don quicker by keeping Lincoln in the Presidential chair then by removeing him. That is the reason I vote for him You said you had got a dress like this gave fifty cts a yd for it now if you have got a dress like that letter I should like to see it. It was rather costly and woud do very good service. I guess you forgot to put a piece of it in. From you affectionate Husband A.C. Smith I like that old woman first rate.