Civil War correspondence

This is a transcript of a letter from Hamilton Warren Hall to Annie Martin, his fiancee. He was fighting for the Union Army.

Hd Qts. 1st Division 20th A Corps
Murfreesboro, [Tennessee] May 24th 1983

Darling,
After tea this evening I sad down with Captain Sherrer to play a game or two of chess, and when we had played with the usual result of a 'mate each, which makes us equal, he went to his quarters; and in the twinkling of an eye, when I was alone, and the strain was removed from my mind--for the game had been closely contested & the Captain had gained the start early in the game & pressed me rather closely, and finally "mated" me -- I felt an indescribable oppression upon my heart, a loneliness & longing which is unusual to me, and I took a cigar and walked out in the moon-light and under the shade of the oaks -- out to the creek, where I sat down, and watched the fireflies and the signal light -- which waves right & left & front and tells of the state of our front, -- and listened to the sweet melody of distant bands as they played their Goodnight "Tattoo," and all the time I was thinking of you dearest and yearning for your dear presence, and I knew I was sad because I had heard no word from you since the letter of May 10th, and then I thought I'd come home & tell you of all my yearning for you, and that I must hear from you to make me happy, And now I'm going to say "goodnight" and hope that the morning train will bring the news of the fall of Vicksburg -- and -- a letter from dear dear Annie -- And then, I will be happy!

Tenderly
Hamilton