Letter from James Madison Phillips to his first wife Angelina "Angie" Ellis Phillips Hartwell (dated Aug. 21, 1864). For more information about these individuals, go to James's or Angie's web pages.

Here's a transcription of this letter:

Dear Angie

Near Camp of 16th Regt. Wis ___ near Atlanta Geo. Aug. 21st 1864

Dear Wife & Children -- I received 2 letters from you yesterday -- 1 of the 4th & 7th of Aug. in reply to mine of the 23rd & 25th of July -- they were verry [SIC] gladly recd -- I had been anciously [anxiously] waiting to get some word from you to know you had recd my letters so you would not be worrying about me -- you can't imagine how much encouragement a letter gives me -- my health is not verry good but nothing serious -- I am not with the co now -- I am at the regt hospital trying to recruit up -- the Doctor says when we get into camp he will assist me to get a furlough & if I can get 1 I shall probably stay at home or some where else -- are the boys contented & also yourself where you are -- I hope so for a better place you could not get -- how is Hettie a getting along -- I hope she is improving

Mrs Graves is almost crazy about that George is sick is sick but still remains with the regt -- Capt Biggert has gone home & will probably make a visit up to Shields or write to you his injury was such as to excuse him from duty for 30 days -- I wish I could get a chance to go home as long -- I don't think they would see me here verry soon if I felt as bad as I do now -- my leg & arm pain me terribly when the weather is lowery

When you direct my letters be carful [careful] to make your M like mine -- for the way you make it it is an __ and I think some of my letters have missed me on that account -- direct to the regt as usual

I wrote you about Henry Allen being a coward -- I suppose his cowardice either threw him into the hands of the rebs or else he got killed somewhere in the rear out of our division as there has been nothing heard from him since ___. His patriotic father won't crow about patriotism as much as used to -- wonder if Mrs. Allen would call me a copperhead now if I don't stick up for McLellan & call me a coward -- people will not think much more __ when they know he sold his only for money after beating him like a dog to make him enlist & then threatening him if he did not allot him all his bounty & almost all his wages except 500

The 16 Wis was in the hottest of the fight on the 21st & 22nd and if they had given away & run as the 4th Division did on our left, the army of the Tennessee would have been completely demoralized -- the rebs broke the 4th Division & drove them like sheep but the 16" & 12" Wis stood like an iron wall fighting fire on 1 side of the breastworks & then on the other -- the rebs got in our rear & we had two lines to fight in from & some of them could not load their guns after having 1 fired, some shooting their ramrods with the load half way down the gun -- Rebel officers rode into our lines & undertook to command our troops but it wasn't the kind of uniform our boys used to march after

The rebels seemed determined to resist until the last -- Forest [?] is reported to have come to Atlanta to reinforce Hood and some of Braggs troops also and some of Lee's army also, but we are also getting reinforcements all the while -- we have commenced the siege of Atlanta & it must soon fall or they must drive us across the Chattanoochee River

Please send me some stamps to use in writing to mother -- write often & give me the news [?] -- this from your loving husband Jas M Phillips

A copy of this letter is courtesy of Tim Pletkovich (Marilyn Pahl gave him a copy).