Word has reached us that General Stonewall 
Jackson has been running the Yankees silly in 
the Shenandoah Valley.  With a little more than 
15,000 men, Stonewall has kept 50,000 Yankees 
defeated for three months.  His men call 
themselves "foot calvary" because they can travel 
faster than about any infantry.  Forced marches 
of fifty miles are said to be common with the
units.  They have to take the shoes and boots 
off  of Union dead because they wear theirs out 
so fast.

We have been fighting a series of battles with 
Yank units we come into contact with.  Some of 
Hood's Brigade is in Vicksburg.  Grant took his
shopkeepers across the Mississippi to the west 
and crossed back over.  He has laid siege to 
Vicksburg.  Several units have attempted to 
relieve the town, but we don't have enough men 
close enough to move in force.

Some mail has reached us.  As always, Elizabeth 
tells me everything is alright at home.  She 
sends me her love and tells me all has gone well.
They are not able to get some of the things we 
could get before the war. Anything manufactured 
in Europe is either impossible to get, or costs 
too much.  There are some ships that risk 
bringing in items past the union ships, but many 
of the things they bring are luxuries that 
Elizabeth and I couldn't afford before the war, 
much less now.  

To make it harder, Elizabeth thinks whe will have 
to either store any cotton she raises this year, 
or sell it so cheap it's not worth while.  I told 
her not to worry about planting cotton next year, 
but to plant as much land as she could in food. A 
good stock of laid in food might be all she and 
little Sid have to keep their belt buckles apart 
from their backbones next winter.  

I still have no word from Georgia.  My prayers are 
with my brother and father.  I understand they 
might be in Vicksburg.  I heard tell there were
some Georgia units there.