Camp Culpeper Virginna
December the 30 /63
Dear Sister
it is with pleasure that I seat my self this evning to answer your kind letter wich I recieved yesterday evning and was very glad to heare from you and to heare of you all being well as for my self I am well and hearty I feel a little better this evning than usual for we recieved that box to day and you may bet that we had some thing good every thing was all wright side up with care I am very well pleased with my surt and boots and the socks but I cold a got a long very well with out the socks but then I can keep them / to ware when I go to see the gals you no I can tell them that I halve a pair of socks on that came from lawrence county
Well Lizzie I must tell you that we had to leave our good winter quarters that we had bilt I will bet that there was some mad boys a bout that time I no I am one that was I was mad a nuff to eat thre boilt potatoes but there the laugh comes in I did not halve them to eat how are you eat
we moved a bout ten miles and lay a round two or three days and the weather was very cold and we had to lay out and take it all I felt prety cheap on christmas morning / for we had no table to eat off of we tore the box up and made a table to eat the good things on we eat one chicken for dinner and halve the other two yet I think we will put them out of the road to morrow dont you think that would be as long as you cold keep them I believe it would
we had a good dinner to day we had visetors for dinner and we thought we would haft to get somthing good every thing in the box was good and when ever you folks get more good things than you no what to do with you can send them to us and we will put them a way for you I am very much obliged to you all for every thing as much as you but the boots is just the best and I am very well pleased with the shirt and the socks well I halve said all I halve to say at presant I will close by sending you all my well wishes nothing more at presant but remain your brother George Bender
abraham rhodes says he would like you would write
when I got up in the cold and had nothing to eat but crackers and salt pork and cofee I thought then that I had seen better days and expect to see them a gain if I live long a nuff I was wishen then that I was at home just getting redy to go some place to halve a good time as I ust for to halve but my wishes dont do no good at presant well I must tell you that we halve got a nother house built and every thing fixt prety well a gain so we can live comfortable we worked all last sunday and it raned all day and plenty of mud but we had to work or frieze and we thought we would rather work and so we did that box just came in the wright time /
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write soon and tell me all the news give my love to the school mam and every body else good day