Dear Brother & Sister,

I embrace the present opportunity to write you a few lines to let you know that I am in only tolerable health, and have a bad cold which makes me feel badly today. Thos. is well --- was a few days since he is a teamster. He is with the Army supply train. I hope this letter finds you and family in the enjoyment of good health. We have had a very hard time since the spring campaign began. Our Army has fell back to this place a distance of about - 100. We went into the ditches at Dalton on the 7th of last May. We have contested every particle of ground from Dalton to this place. We have had hard fighting, marching & breast-works to build. The Yankeys, by flanking our position is the cause of us having to fall back so far. I think Gen. Johnston would have fought them before now if they had came square up to his lines. They have attacked our right and left several times and were repulsed with a heavy loss. On the 27th of May they tried to turn our right

wing, our Division was sent there. We done so and repulsed them with a

heavy loss. I guess you have seen an account of the battle in the papers. Our Brigade was in the en-gagement - we fought some 4 hours. I never have seen such slaughter as we inflicted on the Yankeys. There was about 300 buried in front of our Brigade and we got many of their wounded. We captured some three hundred prisoners and a fine lot of small arms. All of our Division was not engaged. Our Brigade done the principal part of the fighting and a good part of it took place after night. Our loss was slight compared with that of the enemy. I think their loss could not be short of three thousand. We lost 42 killed & wounded in our regiment. Only 8 killed dead on the field I believe. I don't remember the loss of the Brigade. We have been in many skirmishes. Since we've left Dalton we have lost 2 killed and 5 or 6 wounded in our Co. We are resting now, the Yankeys are on one side of the Chattahoochee River and we on the other. I can't tell when we will have a general engagement. I think we have damaged the enemy at least 20 thousand men in the various fights and skirmishes we has had with

them. Our Army is in good health and spirits and hopeful of final success. I think we will thrash the Yankeys badly if they attack our lines. We have had a great deal of rain here, crops look well, weather very warm. Our troops have all confidence in our Chieftain, Gen. Johnston. I must now close by requesting you to give my love and respects to all the family and inquiring friends. Be sure and write as I can, as you receive this no more for the present, but remain as ever, your devoted brother.

Alexander Edgar