Tuesday the 17 of Jan 1865

                                                 

And yet alive have been in camp 9 days this evening in a small tent made of logs about 7 by 7 little stove 2 of us eat to gather and cook on the stove it has a hole on top we have 3 or 4 plates cups plenty pork salt beef and some days fresh beef hard tack plenty shugr coffee pickled cabbage soft bread twice a week had a good mess of potatoes this morning drew one beat have 3 sorts of lounges to sleep on I have only stood gard 12 hours 2 on & 4 off can buy any luxury we want at big price canned fruits of all kinds and jellies canned chicken tourkey all for 100 pr can we can get all the paper free and Christian papers every day I have more papers than I can read a log meeting house clost I went to church at 2 last Sabbath / for the first time since i left there is prayer meeting every night I think I think I shall go to night my health is improveing although exertion makes my heart beat so I was about starved when I came here I wrote you the particulars last week all letters come here for the Regt we have our wood hauled there has been grand Review to day saw more soldiers than I ever did there is a great rejoiceing to day Shooting musketry and offal yelling the muskets sound like Battle I shal try and find out & finish in the morning tell Jessie to be good and learn her books or lessons tell her I am to Luke 10^th She must learn the table and she must learn to / show Charlie to read Charlie must carry in chips and Georgi must not get mad and fight and they must not swear I wil send the children some pine I must cut wood most night

 

this is morning & very well pleasant days & cool nights it has not been cold enough to freeze over a creek scarcely it thaws about every day and freezes the mud at night it rains here insted of snow rare thing to see much snow here about 180 new men from Ind came on last night I am to cook for 40 of them beens & pork they make their own coffee and then I wont stand 

 

I think we wil be ordered to N.C. to the reg before long O the rejoiceing was over the capture of ft fisher in N.C. that our boys failed to take the first trip they made came back stayed 3 days & went back hence the removal of Granny Butler respects to all let Mother read the letter as soon as you can send all your noas as to money & write in this manner

                                               

Mr J. W. Shepard 13 Ind Inft

3^d Brigade 2^d Division

24^th Corps Via Ft Monroe

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