Knoxville, Tenn.
Sept. 22, 1861

Dear Bride,

I once more take this method of informing you that I and Bob are
well at present. Hoping at the reception of these lines you and all of the
children will be well. I understood the other day that one of the children
was snake bitten, but did not hear which one it was.  Captain Powers got a
letter from his brother at Jasper and he said he was over in our
neighborhood and heard it.  He said it was not dangerous.

We have not gotten a letter from any of you since we left home. I
am getting very anxious to hear from you and all of the rest. I am afraid
that some of you are sick.  If I knew you all were well I would be much
better satisfied. I am a great deal better satisfied here than I expected
to be.

I have had the chills since I came here but I have gotten shut of
them  I have not had one since Mr. Brown left here. I am getting fat. There
is a good deal of sickness in camp, tho' most measles. I will give yo names
of our neighbor boys that are sick and the most of them are at the hospital
- Newton and Charlie Berryhill, Bob Berryhill, Billy Walker, J. N. Watson,
D. and John White, Huts Chambliss and John Gann all have measles. John
Pulim has got the fever and Ashbury Chambliss has the dropsy. Both of the
last names are terribly bad off.  Them that have the measles are doing fine.

We are going to move from where we now are.  Part of our Regiment
moved yesterday and we will move tomorrow.  We are going to move over to
guard the magazine.  It is tow miles over the other side of town.

Still direct your letters to Knoxville as you did before, if you
have written any. I want you to write to me once a week, anyhow and I will
do the same. I have but little more news to write to you.

The most of the troops have left here and gone up to Cumberland
Gap, near the Kentucky line. They had a little scrimmage up there day
before yesterday, tho' but little damage was done. I think when our
Regiment gets able we will be ordered thereto guard that point.

I have just returned from preaching, Manurva, - I want you and Hugh
to try to keep everything straight as nigh as you can. Hugh, I want you to
buy all the cotton that you can and be governed by the market prices. Give
a little more than that in the way of debts but don't promise any money for
cotton unless you think you can sell some for the money.  I will engage all
of the boys cotton that are here with me.  As far as they are owing, I want
you to have all of their accounts drawn off against I come home.

I have not seen the Colonel yet about getting a substitute in my
place for a month or two. I expect to see him in a few days on that subject
and if I can send you I will come home about the 15th of November and if
not I will come home on a furlough in 3 or 4 weeks to see you all.

Hugh, I want you and Father to buy all the corn that you can in the
way of debts if you can't get cotton. I have seen up here that cotton bears
a fine price.

Parson Powers stated in his letter to Captain Powers that he
understood that the captain had resigned his office and I was elected
captain of our company and that there was 12
hundred dollars made up for our company and was given to Captain Powers to
pay out for the Company and he had kept 6 hundred dollars of it back and
had not paid it out.  The captain is badly hurt abut it. He got me to write
back there and find out how the news got there. I want you to find out how
it got there and write to me about it, for it is all a mistake, to my
knowledge.

Some of the boys have just returned from town and the telegraph
news there is that our folks took the Washington City yesterday but they
could not tell much about it.  I am fearful it is not so.

Manurva, tell James and Mat to write to me and write whether you
have heard from Silmon and all of the rest of them since we left or not.  I
have not room to write any more, so I remain you affectionate husband until
death.

A. M. Aston