Camp of 50^th N.Y. Eng'rs Near

Poplar Grove Church Va Dec 25^th 64

                       

Dear Parents

                      I have just finished my christmas dinner & now will try to pen a few lines to the absent ones at home We are all enjoying good health at present & I hope this may find you the same and now I wish you all a Merry Christmas though it will be nearly New Years before this is received. I will tell you what we had for dinner viz pan cakes potatoes turnips butter & coffee so we made a pretty good meal of it / I received yours of the 19^th yesterday and was glad to hear from you all again and to know that you were well It had been almost a week since we had received any news from you and I began to wonder what could be the matter with you all that you did not write to us but your letter explained the case satisfactorily I have not written any since last wednesday and then I wrote to the Captain. The reason was that I was at work with a squad of men for Doctor Hewit all the week and did not get a chance to write during the day and candles are to scarce to burn long enough to write letters by so you see I did not write you 

 

            I see by your last that you intend to send us a box well I shall be happy to make its acquaintance when it comes and I should be happier still to see Pa come with it. has he given up coming down to see his Boys? Mother please ask Pa if he knows that he has two Sons in the Army who would be ever so glad to receive a letter from him. He has not written a word to us since we were all home together last winter and it seems as if he might write to us once in a while just to show that he had not forgotten us if nothing more.

 

            Please excuse these black spots on this sheet and I will do better next time 

 

The weather has been quite cold for two or three days past but it is getting some warmer to day. I think that I will have to quit writing now for Jimmie is going to wash the dinner dishes and wants the table   so, good Bye for this time

                                                                                               

Charley

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