Burlington Vt 

Feb the 5^th [1866]

           

Dear Cousin

                                    it is with pleasure that I take my pen in hand to pen you a few lines in answer to your kind letter that came to hand some time ago wich found me in the best of health

 

            well Jack you must pardon me for not answering your letter sooner I have no excuse to make for not writing sooner only laziness

 

            the weather is midling cold here now and about 8 inches of snow on the ground and the sleighing is is good there has been good sleighing here for the last two weeks and the yanks ar enjoying it the / best they no how they have the best of horses and slegs here that ever I seen and they do some fast driving. well Jack I hardly no what to write that will be interesting to we ar having a good time of soldering this winter we haint got enything to do only stay here and keep up a good fire and eat and sleep and go to Burlington whenever we see fit to go the hospital is a mile and a half from town and I go to town about 3 times a week just as I feal about it But we will have to leave here in a short time

 

Shorty and myself got an order from Brattleboro last night for us to report there on the 27^th and get our discharge how ar you discharge we will leave here on the 25^th and go to Brattleboro and get our discharge and express all our soger clothe home in a box to New Castle Pa 

 

I dont intend to come home right away I intend to stop a while east of the mountains before I come home that is if I can get my transportation by way of New York and Phill^a and if they wont do that I will be sent by way of Buffalo and Erie to new Castle

 

D Barge Shorty and myself ar together here Ace Shaffer is with the Company at Brattleboro Vt

 

            well Jack I will close by sending my best respects to you Excuse all mistakes and bad spelling

 

Nothing more at present

 

But as Ever Remain your

Cousin

A Rhodes

 

 to Jack Bender

Burlington Vt Feb 25

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