Columbia Tenn July 10th l864.
Dear Pet

As Riggs Forsyth is going home for a few days, I avail myself of the opportunity of again writing you. I have written over and over again, and no answer. I shall probably stay here this summer as my health is such that I cannot stand the labor of field duty. I assume command of the fort here to-morrow. There is an Adams Express Office here, and I wish you to write me a long letter telling me all about affairs generally, especially about the progress of our new house, and if any thing is being done by Thompson at Harneys house, or our new fence, & if John Clark has done anything at the stone work etc. etc. and if Hollingsly has built the fence between my land & Ben Randalls and send the letter by Express to me here. Is your Mother better, are the Children well. How is your health - have you a good garden, did my vase get home safely, etc. Riggs will return in a week or so, and I hope you will send me Anna’s likeness and a long letter by him. I have been notified that Gen. Thomas will not accept my resignation but will order me on duty here as Post Commander. It will be easy for me, but this infernal silence from home is almost driving me crazy. Do not wait for Riggs to return, but write me by express at once and hereafter I must know, at any expense, how you are, at home. I would rather blow my head off, than to feel about this matter for the next month, as I have for the month past. There is a daily Mail a Telegraph & an Express Office here, and through some of these channels I know you can if you wish to, let me hear from you. I send by Riggs some gems, some Geological specimens, some seeds, a couple of canes, a Peacock Feather Brush, some pictures of Lookout mountains, some Mocking birds that are too young to sing, and will not commence singing until next summer. I gave $20.00 for three of them. They need a larger cage. Riggs can tell you about feeding them. Riggs is to have one. When they learn to sing the others are for Mary and Anna. I wish you had written me to let me know whether you had a girl or not, and if you wanted a black one. The girl that cooked for my mess last year, is very anxious to come up there to live. She is here, and if I know about it, I could send her home by Riggs. I wish you to let me know about this matter. She is a smart girl about sixteen or eighteen years old, and has sense enough to have conducted herself properly while with us, which is more than could be said of a great many white girls similarly placed. If she would answer the purpose we would not be troubled with hunting a new girl every few weeks, and she would not expect to be treated like a visitor all the while. Now do write or Telegraph or send by Express, and let me know all about home affairs. Horace is getting well again.

My love to all. Direct your letters

J.T. Wilder

Columbia Tenn.

I am as ever your true husband

J. T. Wilder