Nashville Tenn.
Nov 2nd 1865
Dear and Beloved wife
I now take my pen in hand to inform you that I am well and hearty and hope this may find you the same. I is a long time since I have had a chance to write to you till now. I have come here after horses and there are none here so we have to wait till they come.
I received two letters from you since I wrote to you. The first one contained the children's pictures and they are very nice. Oh if you could think how I felt when I got them.
We were just then after old Gen. Wheeler (Reb) and were having the hardest times that we have had since we were soldiers. Sometimes we had nothing to eat but parched corn and roasted squashes without salt and had to march forty or fifty miles a day. We overtook him twice and had hard fights with him both times.
The second time our Reg. was in front and we went in with our sabres and our Reg took 250 prisoners and killed and wounded a great many. We had but a few killed in our regiment. In our Co we had two wounded, Thomas Heap in the breast and Lieutenant Watson in left shoulder. The reason we had no more men hurt was we did not give the Rebs time to form a line. We drove them about five miles as fast as our horses could run, taking prisoners every jump and at Farmington they made a stand to fight us but we had a Brigade of mounted infantry along and they are armed with seven shooting rifles and they done the fighting. There they captured four pieces of their artillery and about 50 prisoners and then we went into camp for the night and the next day we did not see them but the second day the 5th Iowa Cavalry was in advance and they took about 50 prisoners killing three and did not lose a man.
The next day they crossed the Tenn. and we did not follow them further. Then we went into camp and went out after prisoners. We were ordered to take anything we could find. Then we lived well again.
Nov 3rd. Well we were in camp one day and then we took up our march back toward Winchester marching 20 miles a day and I have too much to tell on this paper, but from Winchester we were ordered to Marysville, Ala. and there I would have had time to answer your letters but had no paper. After we were there about a week we were ordered to Woodville and my horse got such a sore back that I could not ride him and I had to walk. The distance was about 12 miles. That evening we got orders for all dismounted men to go after horses so we started afoot for Stevenson. Walked it in two days. The distance was 35 miles and there we took the cars for this place and here we are waiting and how long we will have to wait we do not know.
You want to know if I do not want my clothes sent to me. I will tell you that I don't because I bought an overcoat for six dollars. It is better than the one I sent home and for blankets I will try and get along as Henry and I bunk together and he had the good luck to pick up a couple that day we chased the Rebs. I should have sent home for them but I did not know where to have them sent to and I was afraid they would get lost. If I would have bad them sent to Stevenson I might have been a hundred miles from there before they would reach me.
You say you feel quite anxious about me which I have no doubt and I am sorry that you had to wait so long for a letter but do no despair for I will write as often as I can. I had a letter from Sam the other day. He was not very well then. He was in the fight two days at the big Battle. He said his folks were well and doing well.
I have not bed a letter from father since March and I do not care if I do not get another till next March for I guess be is one of those democrat copperheads and I do not want anything to do with them till this war is over.
You was telling about your dream. It must have been very near the time that we had that fight and you must always take a dream to the reverse for I have not been injured.
This sheet of paper and envelope cost 5 cents. I have plenty of paper with our wagons but I do not know where that is. I have not much more to write this time. Henry is well and hearty. I told him that you wanted him to write and he said he would. We have a great deal of wet weather here. We are drawing clothes here today and I need a jacket, a pair of pants, a pair of gloves, and a rubber blanket, which things I am going to draw. I hardly know what to write to the little girls but I wish I could see them and get the kiss that Mary has for me.
I believe I have given you about all the particulars that I can think of so I must bring this letter to a close in hopes of soon hearing from you. No more this time, this is from your true and devoted husband until death
George Kryder
To E. S. Kryder
Write as soon as this comes to hand and direct to Woodville, Ala.
Good bye
