Camp near Lewisburg Nov. 25^th 1861

 

Dear sister & Brother

                                                I take my pen in hand to write you a few lines to let you know that we are all well. well I hardly know what to write, if I could be with you I could tell you many things. we left Huntersville the 10^th of this to join Floid we came to Lewisburg 50 miles from Huntersville we was then ordered to where we are now camped 7 miles from Lewisburg to wait until we got our clothing. we got it day before yesturday. we have all got plenty of every thing in the way of clothes, more than we could pack, if we was ordered to march. I received the cumfort you sent me & was pleased to get it. Well I suppose you are all anxious to know where we are going to stay for the winter. we have orders to winter here or in this neighborhood our officers have been looking out a place for the last two or three days. they have picked out a place 12 miles above the White Sulphur Springs which will be 10 miles from Jackson Depot. Magor Botts has gone to see General Floid to see whether he will let us go that far from here or not, so the thing is a little uncertain yet. Winter has caught us at last, the ground is hard / froze & a light snow. it is cloudy & spitting snow, but it is to cold to snow much. I fear we will have a tolerable hard time this winter. we are scarce of wood here. I have to carry it up a big hill. plenty of wood is the main thing to keep us from freezing. the smoke is very bad on a persons eyes, if we go in to winter quarters I dread it. I hate the idea of having to be bound down in camp for 4 months, but I think we can stand it as well as any of them. I think I am heavyer than I was when I left home. Monroe weighs about 200 hundred lbs you would hardly know him. he has gone to Jackson Depot after flour, he is acting as assistant Comisary for the present he will be gone 6 or 7 days. David Kirkpatrick was here to see us one day last week. I expect he has gone to Richmond now he said he expected he would start the next day after I saw him. he said if he did not he would come back to see us the next day. he was in fine health. well Cul we have right short rations sometimes we got beef plenty but bread is prety scarce. we have to eat crackers sometimes for a day or two. we havent had any salt for several days. our mess never has suffered yet but some of them run right short sometimes. Cul I would like to be at your house to eat a few meals, but I fear that will be a long. I have no hopes of getting home / until my time is out, but we have got the long time behind us.

 

I received a letter from Madeline & one from Father last friday. Monroe also got one from Maria wrote after Ady got home I was glad to here he got thare safe.

we have not got are sick man in our Company. we left several at the Spring or they have gone to the Springs. we have 78 men in our company now. John Brown is at the Springs yet. he is well but detailed to wait on the sick. he will be up shortly.

 

well it is so cold I can hardly write. it is now 3 oclock & diner is ready. we only eat twice a day. well I have eat harty of coffee beef & bread. give my love to all tell Brown to write to us. remember me to Rufus & Tom & Alfred. give my love all of our family & tell them to write when they can. so no more. I will write again when we moove again, so no more but remain yours &c absent Brother

                                               

until death L. J. E. Bearden

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