Victory again!  We met the Yankees outside 
of Chattanooga five days ago.  In a two 
day running battle, we have driven them 
back into the town and are laying seige.  
The company has taken position blocking 
any Union forces from breaking out of 
Chattanooga.  Our troops occupy Lookout 
Mountain and the fort on top of it as well 
as Missionary Ridge.  Holding the high 
ground will make it easier to defend our 
positions.  Right now we are still sending
patrols out to find weak points.  From time 
to time General Bragg attacks the Yankees, 
but they have pretty good defensive 
positions themselves, and we haven't tried 
anything really big.

We needed to win here after what has happened 
in the rest of the war.  Gen. Robert E. Lee 
lost a big battle at Gettysburg, Pa.  The news 
is that the Army of Virginia lost 28,000 men.  
Lee was fighting without his most trusted 
commander.  Another piece of bad luck happened 
in May at Chancellorsville when Gen. Stonewall 
Jackson died of a bullet fired by his own man.

Vicksburg has fallen as well.  This loss 
brings personal grief to me as I have gotten 
news that Papa fell there.  Brother Sid was 
able to slip away with what was left of his 
unit and has written Mama that he is well.  
Mama wrote me that Papa had died from the 
flux.  It was more than likely brought
on by the hard work and poor food they had at
the end in Vicksburg.  Papa is just one of 
many good men who have died and will die in 
this war.  I am beginning to doubt I will make 
it through to see any of my family again. Looks 
like this thing will go on for a while longer 
than any of us figured. The Yankees have 
learned how to fight.  They have a commander 
called U.S. Grant. Gen. Grant is the man whose 
troops took Vicksburg.  Some of the officers 
knew him when they attended West Point, while 
others served in theArmy with him.  They said 
he wasn't a good student, and that he left the
Army because he was a heavy drinker.  He may 
not be anyone's idea of a perfect officer, but 
he is about the only one the Yanks have found 
who knows how to fight and win.  Yankee 
newspapers call him "Unconditional Surrender"
Grant.