Memphis Tennessee January 1^st 1865

 

Dear Mother

                        I now seat myself to write a fiew lines to you to let you know how I am getting along I am pretty well now I do not lay a bed in the day time at all now I take a walk every day now I walk from half a mile to a mile the scabs are off of me but one or two little soars but the Dr says he will not let me run up to the city for a weak or two yet he says thare is danger of people catching the small pox from me yet. he is verry particular, thare was one spell I thought I would get a furlough but I guess that can not be done I think I can get to be hospitle nurce here if I can I will I can get twenty dollars and a half shure and may be twenty five / a month I will have pleanty to eat and not exposed to wet weather and no marching to do and more pay and I will be here in Memphis all the time and this is the healthyest place on the Mississippi if I am with the Regt they will be down whare the yellow fever is pretty thick I am going to try my best to get to stay here and the Dr said when I got able he was going to have me detailed from my Regt to stay here I may get a place here untill the war ends. I have not drawn aney money yet and do not know when I can I could not go home without money aney how after I get settled down here I want you to come down I will pay your fare one way after I draw my pay. thare is 78 dollars due me from Government and about 25 from the company it will not cost you / aney thing to board here I should have you stay at this old womans to day she sent a horse and buggy after me to come to New Years supper and stay a weak or two but the Dr said I would have to draw another suit of clothes before it would do for me to go out amongst people he said they would catch it from my clothes. I wrote a letter to Hannah the other day and one to F. M. Smith and I thought to day being as I had nothing else to do I would write to you I have not written to Jennie yet but am going to before maney days I want to hear from you all and find out how you are getting along I have not heard from our Regt since it left I will not write much more this time I expect that girl will be to see me again in a fiew days 

 

I want you to send me some more stamps if you pleas I have no money to buy aney with when I wrote to Fred I told him to collect what was coming to me from the company and send to me and I guess I will draw some before long I will get it when they pay off the hospitle and may be before well I do not kneed mutch I have a dollar yet but I thought I would keep it I might want it I guess I will quit for this time there is but verry fiew marks on my face my love to all direct your next letter

 

Mr John D Beach                               

Small Pox Hospitle                             

Memphis Tennessee                           

                                                                        

and it will be all right on the goose                

                                                                        

 

I have a bully appetite I can eat a man a horse back. thare was one spell they would not give me enough to eat they were affraid it would give me a back set and make me wers but now I get all I want and that that is good

 

I feel better since I had the small pox than I did before

 

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I have nothing to but write letters. Last night at midnight the cannon fired and I thought we was attacked I did not think about new years

 

I wish you all a happy new Year

 

write soon

 

The things that was sunk on that boat was brought here to Memphis and sold as damaged goods and sold at auction and my box was amongst them I expect I can make them pay for it

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