This is a very interesting letter as it is illustrative on several points.

It shows an Alabama man in a Tennessee unit. A good illustration that men of one State can show up in units of another State. And it is a good illustration, too, of one of the many possible reasons that a person shows up in more than one unit.

It also illustrates that the Confederate Army was not in such dire straits for cloths as is often portrayed. This guy had at least *3* pairs of pants, and couldn't sell the two extra! Remember, this letter is dated 1863, a time when according to many sources goods were getting very scarce...particularly on the front.

It also shows the value of items at the time. He paid $5.00 Confederate for a good, heavy blanket...that's approximately $100.00 American in today's money. Really not a bad deal for a quality blanket. In 1864, the exchange rate was 5:1 Confederate to American, and there were few takers of the Yankee dollars! [I don't know the 1863 ratio.] What's that mean? That he really paid $1.00 American for that blanket, making it a real bargain at $20.00 in today's money.