Harpers Ferry Jan 8^th 63

                       

Dear Parents

                                                having finished supper and smoking I thought that I might spend a few leisure moments in writing to you I received a letter from you this afternoon dated the fourth and fifth it contained rather sad news for you wrote of the ill health of Mattie and Pa and Ella all of which I was very sorry to hear but am in hopes that they are all well and enjoying good health by this time. My health was never better than at the present time 

 

When Pa and Ella was down here I had a bad cough which was the effects of a bad cold but that is better now. To day I was weighed and without an overcoat on I weighed one hundred and sixty eight pounds six more than I ever weighed before if I keep on growing as I have for the last four months I shall be an old whopper by the time I get to be a man and I dont know when that will be though I hope in some future day to have that title applied to my single self. In the Army all are "boys" 

 

            The suspension bridge which was in the course of erection when Pa was here is so far completed as to allow teams to cross over and the old ponton bridge which was taken up part of the company went to Washington with I did not go and I am real glad of it for the weather has been quite severe ever since they left and to night it is real cold and the ground is frozen hard but we have no snow worth speaking about Our box has not come yet and another thing we haint got and that is new pants and another thing we haint / got and that is our pay maybe they will all come after a while We mustered again for pay the last day of last December Wonder if the new recruits will get any the next time

 

My pen is poor

"  ink is black

If you cant read it

 Send it back

Amen

 

 

This from C W Personeus

Major Gen. Commanding [torn away]

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