Weldon R.R. Va

January the 17^th 65

 

Mother

                        I received your welcom letter the 12^th I was glad to hear from you again I cant hear from home to often Thare is nothing more pleasing to me than to hear from home Yours found me well & I hope this will find you all the same We hav had a severe rain storm sinc I wrote you It is warm now & pleasant & seames like eneything but winter I persume that thare is plenty of snow with you I hav not seen the ground white but once this winter We hav rain & mud enough with out snow to help make it 

 

I was over to the regt to day I saw John Knapp He told me all about what you wrote about some things I did not let him no that I had herd of what was transpiring around Preston

 

            I cant think that Chris is a woman of that stamp I would not believe it if all the Knapps & some others would sware to it Thomas would do all to make some think he had bin so smart I hav nothing agants Tom but I no him of old & dont think him so verey smart I dont want to hav what I write to get out John wont get home this winter I am afraid I wish he could I dont want to stand in his shoes 

 

Bob Tenant & R Foster was over to the regt sunday I hav not seen them yet I hav not run around mutch sinc we came back from the raid My horse has had a sore back & I hav staid in park I could hav had another horse by asking for it long ago but I did not care for more than one to take care of I am on gard to night but I think I will go to see some of the boyes from Preston & vicinity I am not more than a mile from George & James & Nate Carpenter but they dont no it They think that we moved away with our Corps We are parked four months or more whare we are now We did not leave our winter quarters when our Corps left thairs 

 

I have not had a letter from Harriet sinc the 29^th of December I hav wrote to Harriet meney times to no if she got one hundred Dollars that I sent when we wer paid last time She never has mentioned a word about it She kneed not be afraid that I will want some of it

 

            I dont want to think she has not got it I hav thought strange she said nothing about it to me I asked her to send me some stamps She sent me 3 I ow 7 stamps now we wont get paid again before March We hav bin paid but once sinc I was home Then thare will be 170 Dollars due me

 

            I think I will never get out of money again as long as I stay in the army 

 

The 18^th

            I dont think I will get home this winter although I would like to verey mutch & if I do it will be in March Men are going evry day It is not verey hard to get a furlough

 

I want to see my folks bad enough but when I go home again I would like to hav the privelage of staying thare

 

            I hope one more campain will end this war Meney think it will be ended by the first of May I wish it mite be so Me thinks meney will be disappointed before next year this time I wish they might not be

 

Fort fisher is taken by Warren our Corps Commander He left here some time ago 

 

            I am glad that Butlar was removed Thare wer one hundred guns fired here yester over the capture of Fort fisher at Willmington, N.C. The rebels cant hold out more than four years more Thair fate is near at hand We are under martching orders again Twill not amount to eneything We are going to hav a storm It has bin trying to for the last 24 hours

 

            I received a letter & paper from Ester sinc I did yours They wer all well then Philander Hine is at City point I was down thare last Monday but did not no then that he was thare & if I had I did not hav eney time to after him 

 

            I per sume that of the people hav got good this winter I wish I was They hav large metings here I seldom go I think it a good thing for when a man is thare he is not gambling & drinking

 

            I neather chew tobacto or drink whiskey & wish I did not sware I hav not had a chew of tobacto in my mouth sinc June I think

 

            It is geting late & I want send this the next mail I hope this may find you all well With my best wishes I must bid you good by hopeing soon to hear from you again My love to all

 

This from your Son

Abner B Palmer /

 

Has Father done eneything about geting the boyes bounty yet He must not let it lay to long If he dos he will be botherd to get it He is intitled to all of the government bounty they wer to hav & must loock after it inside of one year after thair death Thare is an old order to that effect & I hav seen no other why I spoke of it I ment to hav wrote about it before & hav forgot it evry time I wrote & came near it this time Some hav lost pensions by let it run over a year without loocking after them It may not be so with bounty money but he beter loock after it if he has not for he is intitled to all government bounty that they wer

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