Family History Letter 34 and 35

State of Alabama, Talladega County

July the 5, 1863

Dear sister, I now seat myself to let you know that we are all well as common hoping these few lines may find you all well. I ain't nothing strange to write to you at this time. We receive a letter from A.H. Burnett the 27 of June, he was well at that time. He said they was expecting a fight there in a few days, he was at Shelbyville, Tennessee. He said the yankee's was in eight miles there. We will start a letter to him, when this starts to you. I had like to forgot to say anything about my fine girl. You and Jerry and Susy (my grandparents) letter and it will tell you all about it. I will have to stop for (unreadable) back of some Jo. No more this time only I still remain your brother and sister till death. To Catherine Burnett. William and Yentisher Burnett. I want you write every chance you get, this is the last paper that I have. Juda and Moses is well and wants to see you and the children mighty bad Jo. No more this time, Juda Freeman.

State of Georgia, Camp near Chattanooga

September the 4, 1863   (This letter was written 15 days before the Battle of Chickamauga, the 28th Alabama Infantry lost 172 men in the battle.)

Dear companion it is with great pleasure that I seat myself this evening to drop you a few lines to let you know that I am well as common hoping when these few lines comes to hand they may find you all well. I ain't got anything strange to write to you at present only times is hard here. I received your kind letter which was mailed August the 26 which stated that you was all well but James. I was sorry to hear the he was sick. Nicholas and Jo is tolerable well. Jo ain't got start yet though he's better than he has been. Catherine you wrote last that you hadn't got the things that I sent by Mr. Hamilton. Catherine, we get a plenty of good water and corn bread and a half pound of bacon (unreadable) a letter from father the other day which stated that the was all well. The wrote to me if they was in my place, they would run away if the could get away before they would stay there and work on what I got to eat. But, I don't think that I will desert them yet awhile the want of something to eat. If I ever run away it will be for the bad treatment I get. They are very tight on the men now. L.E. Gilbert is our captain, we elected John Compton * (more below) our captain, but Colonel Reed ** (more below) said he shouldn't be captain and we found out that he was going to put a man to it his self and we got a petition and got the company to sign it and presented it to the colonel and he said if it was the wish of the company, he would (unreadable) him captain. We have been (unreadable) right here for over a week but (unreadable) think they will fight (unreadable) though they may fool me. They say that there is about 70 thousand yankee's cross the river at Bridgeport. I heard a courier say so this morning myself. John Thomas you and Martha Elizabeth (unreadable) take good care of Sarah Almeada Frances and divide pretties with her, for Pa can't get many pretties here. I would be glad to get a heap of pretties for you and to get to come and fetch them to you. Catherine you never wrote whether you got the (unreadable) dollars they (unreadable) divide for the company and they was too small and I thought about you going barefooted last winter and I just took them and Mr. Hamilton came in a few days. I knew if you don't need them now, you will this winter. (In other words he sent his new pair of brogans to his wife claiming they were too small. He would do without in order for her to have shoes.) So nothing more at present, only I still remain your loving husband till death. This from A.H. Burnett to Catherine Burnett. Write soon and often, take good care of yourself and my sweet babes. So good bye. 

* John S. Compton, 2nd Lieutenant, Company F, 28th Alabama Infantry, 42 years old at this time.

** John C. Reid, Colonel, 28th Alabama Infantry, General Manigault calls him efficient and attentive to his duties. 

(I noticed that this was the first time he wrote "So good bye" and the sad part is this is just two weeks before the bloody battle at Chickamauga. There are no more letters from Alexander H. Burnett to Catherine. It makes one wonder if he knew it was the end?)