Dec^r 20^th 1863            

 

            Dear Wife I had the pleasure last night of receiving & reading another letter written by you I very glad to hear from you & to hear that you were all well as the last before that I had got from you, you and our precious little Willie were not well your letter gave me a great deal of satisfaction & I wish I could get one evry week from your dear self though I havent much room to complain of not getting them as I get one evry now & then the one I got last night was written Nov^r 29^th & mailed Dec^r 2^d making 18 days on the road I had received one a few days before but we have been on the march so much that I had not answerd it. we got here yesterday & will leave this morning at 8 Oclock we are now in two miles of Alexandria on the north side of the river on our way to ft Monroe to reinforce Gen^r Price I expect when I wrote to you last we were across the Chafalia close to the Missippi but we left there that evning as the Chafalia was rising & it was time we were getting out of there [paper hole] might have been cut of by gun boats [paper hole] have none to write what we here one day [paper hole] out false in a day or two afterwards Genr Taylor' Division is a going up this way that is to fort Monroe Walker's Division I think will stay in the vicinity of Fort Derusa on the south side of Red river above its mouth we have had some cold disagreeable weather down here & a good deal of rain roads are very bad in places. the health of the men very good the army or men are generally in very good spirits some dont like the idea of going towards Arkansas I would rather have staid down in here till spring. we have lived very well since we have been down here but we will not do so / now as our beff is getting poor & flour we dont think about we have had some fine potatoes but they are about out we get no pork issued & it is sugar is going to be scarce as there is but little making here but I dont think we will suffer for the want of something to eat. I am sorry you cant get thing more to eat with you I know you live hard but we must bear with patience & hope for the better this will leave me in very good health & spirits I have stood the trip better than the most of the men as evry one in this company have been left behind on account of sickness but me. but I see that cold weather hurts or pinches worse than warm weather as to clothing I am doing very well only for pants & socks there will be some on to issue in a few days & I think I will get. I think you have done exceedingly well in the way of making cloth better than I could have expected but that you have always done when you had half a chance I congratulate myself upon the good fortune of having as good a wife as you are O if I could only be with you I think I could live happier than I ever [paper hole] wrote that Eddy was studying grammer [paper hole] ought to know but I think that it would [paper hole] him to studied something else longer especialy arithmetic tell him to be a good boy though & do the best he can my dear love I cannot give you any idea when I shall get come home So you must do the best you can & pray God for me that I may may meet you soon & especially so that we may live so that we may meet in heaven. Give my love & respect to Jess & family and remember yourself & children I must close as they & fixing to start & I have not time to look over & correct errors So no more but except my prayers & good wishes yours in love

                                                                                   

T. W. Johnson to M E Johnson

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