Camp near Fredericksburg

Virginia

December the 1^st 1862

 

my Dear wife I take the present opportunity of writing you a few lines to let you hear from me I am as well as common and not verry well at that but I do sincearly hope when this letter comes to hand it may find you and the child well dear wife I have no news to write to you only we are verry clost to the yankees the river is all that is between us and the yankees I dont know wheather we will fight hear or not I hardly think we will dear wife I wanter see you and stelly verry bad indeed and if I cant get a ferlough or cant get detailed to work at the court house I I am coming home next spring certain if I live tell them I wont stay here and suffer like I have to suffer and bee as humble as I have to bee treated like they treat a soldier no longer and bee absent from those that I love so well I will not stand it much longer if I live the rich men and officers can get out of the army and a poor man have to stay and I will show them how a poor man can get out of the army I have stayed as long as I agreed to stay and I shant stay much longer if I live we get crackers and spoilt flour and poor beef to eat and that is all we get to eat either / we buy it and that takes all we make and so we have to suffer for somthing to eat I expect my whole mess will come with me when I come. Surely you can send send me some socks or any thing you have but I dont need any clothes but socks dear wife you must excuse my short letter this is all the paper I have I wrote a answer to send by tom haden and he did not go home you must write as soon as you get this letter I still remain your loving husband untill death James C Franklin to M^rs Susan H Franklin

 

dear farther and mother I will write you a few lines to let you know that I have not forgotten you yet and I wanter see you and all the family [faded] I have no news to write at present only times is verry hard here indeed I am glad [faded] has got home and I wish I was with him if I was to bee I never would come back here aney more you must give my love to all the family and to [?] and his wife and to george and his family and accept a share to your selves you must excuse my short letter I [faded] you must write as soon as you can without fail I will add more at present only I remain your affectionate [faded] untill death

                                   

James C Franklin to

M^r William C Hufton and

M^rs Christania P Hufton

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