December the 9^th 1862

 

            Dear wife I seat myself this beautyfull evening to let you know that I am well and getting along as well as ever I expect to get along without you and the children I know one thing no man that loves his wife and children as I love mine ever will get along very well in the army but I think I am getting along as well as any body could that does love their family we have had some mighty bad wether it commenced snowing last Friday morning and snowed till about two Oclock it was about shoe mouth deep then / is right smart of it on the ground yet our Regiment had to start out on picket right throug the snow they was gone three days they left all the boys that had no guns they was about fourty five left that give me and Rob a good chance we had plenty of cover them cold nights and sleep a great deal warmer than you have any idea we could I never have suffered much with cold yet if that was all I could stand it very well but to be kept awy from you and my sweet little children I cant hardly stand it at all but I try my best if I could hear from you every three or four days I could be a heep better satisfied I heard / from you last friday B[?] Drake saw your Father in town last weddnesday and he got back to the Regiment on friday he said you was all well I would like to get a letter from you mighty well I have wrote three or four letters to you but I know you have had no chance I know or you would have written I will write to you every chance I have a chance to send you a letter by old man George till Fayetteville I will tell him to drop it in the ofice and your father will be apt to get it out for you you can tell your father to tell [?] to send them out to you I cen you a letter to town sometimes when I cant send it home some of them laugh at me for writing to you so much but I do not / how much they laugh at me I will write every chance well Cul I believe I never have told you how many was in our Company yet their is about 80 here and six at home I never have had to stand guard but once yet and that was in a day or to after I got back I recon you would like to know what they done with me they never done any thing at all they never said any thing about it Monroe and Rob is well and all the rest of the boys that you know well Cul I will tell you what we have to pay for chickens one dollar and turkeys two and a half and three aples 50 cents per doz they give that just like it was nothing pork at 90 cents we draw pork and beef and flour plenty now but did not a while B Parkinson to Cul                       

 

write

 

[front top margin upside down]

 

I have no more room I will have to quit

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