On the reverse side of the fore-going letter was this reply. -
June the 28th 1864
Dear Uncle - I have an opportunity of dropping you a few lines this morning in answer to yours of the 22nd instant which came to hand yesterday, and I was well pleased to hear from you and to hear that you were all well. This leaves me well, at this time, but I feel badly worsted, from marching and fighting, and loss of sleep, but I do hope this will reach you soon and find you and family, in good health. I can hardly tell you how we are getting along here. We still have many skirmishes here along the lines. On the 20th our Regiment got into it pretty hot & we lost a great many men. They made us charge the yankee heartworks and we was not able to hold them, and we was not profited by it at all but I think badly worsted. We lost all the officers in my regiment but 9 killed and wounded. It looks like a shame to run men into any such places. We are looking every day for a heavy attack here but I hope the yankees will leave and go back to their own country. We have been here at this place now a week, I can’t tell how much longer we will remain here but I think that we will be compelled to fall back before many days. I was glad to hear from Uncle Tillman’s boys and glad to hear that they were well. I would be very glad to see you all, so that I could tell you of all of my ups and downs. Write to me as often as you can, and I will do the same. I still remain yours respectfully
Seaborn Phillips to Seaborn J. Hawks
[Annotations by Victor Hawk:
I have a paper copy of a handwritten transcription of this letter that was microfilmed at the Georgia Archives. I believe Seaborn Phillips was involved in the Battle of Atlanta at the time of this letter. I have no copy of the "foregoing letter" referred to by the original transcriber.
Confederate records list a Seaborn Phillips of Webster County, Georgia. He enlisted as a Private on 4/30/1862 and mustered the same date into Company F, Georgia 46th Infantry. He was wounded in the right thigh on 7/22/1864 in the Battle of Atlanta, and sent home for the duration of the war. Webster County is in southwest Georgia near the Alabama state line, and just a few miles from Plains, Georgia.
I believe Seaborn Phillips is the son of Emala Hawk and Joel Phillips whose marriage record of 10 Jan 1828 is on file in Jasper County. CSA records give Seaborn's birthdate as 12 Mar 1833.]