Charles Roberts to Maggie Roberts (12 February 1865)

              Macon, Geo Feby 12th 1865"
My darling wife,
I left Columbus, Miss last Sunday morning( to-
day week) and arrived here on Friday evening. John Watkins
accompanied me as far as Mobile, where the Battery is now stationed.
I also met with [Al] Andrews in the City; he was there making [pur-
chases] He says the Doctor is as well as usual and nothing new 
in Oxford. The journey from Columbus to this place was
very fatigueing, the cars were crowded to overflowing and although
I succeeded in obtaining a seat in the ladies car all the way
through, it was very unpleasant travelling and exceedingly ex-
pensive. I was obliged to limit myself to one meal per day
for they charge from six to ten dollars [per] meal at the hotels."
At this place I found the baggage stored whish was forwarded
from Columbus Miss and it is my present intention to remain
here until the wagon train Comes up which I think will be
in a week or probably less time. I shall then have the [bag-
gage] loaded on the wagons and proceed with them to Augusta
and from that point to the Command, which I presume is
somewhere in the neighborhood of [Branchville] S.C.)
The news yesterday evening was that the Yankees had
Succeeded in cutting [the] road between Augusta and Branchville 
and had possession of the latter place. If this is the case, our
communication [with] Richmond is [destroyed] and should they
succeed in holding the road they must eventually [capture]
Charleston. If [Sherman] succeeds in [overrunning] South Carolina
the people of that state will suffer fearfully, for he has [threatened]
to do worse than he has Ever done before, when he gets into the 
“original Secession State” I am in hopes that we shall be able
to collect sufficient force to [give him] battle and drive him
back to Savannah with but the [remnant] of an army."
The [news] from Richmond is highly encouraging. A
telegram was received here last night that Grant had come 
out of his works and attacked our forces and had been most
signally defeated. He was not only [repulsed] but we drove them
from their own [line] of works, [which] is now in our possession.