Brashear City Jan 1863 the 26

 

Dear Sister

                        I am in my bunk in the variety store we ocupy as our quarters for the preasant with a short peas of candle Oscar just sent for me and said he was expecting to send a letter to you early in the morning and did not know but I would like to write a few lines to you I think you are indeped to me now for a letter stil I will write a few lines in a hury hopeing I shal receive an answer I am wel but not very good natured as my teeth ache and I was on guard last night sleeping under a large shugar pot a great hous the first hous of iron I ever slept in but not the worst I have slept in since I became a soldier 

 

I went on picket yesterday morning with but three men with me when the sun rose thiss morning I had a famely of 13 one more man wimen and children I thot it a lage increce for the time ocupied but it hapens they were [?] massa the old mother I should think of all as she saw them comeing with the seckond load said there they come bless the Lord they said they wer skedadlers from masa had never had enough to eat had now found friends God grant they may not be disapointed blame take the durty candle has gawn out they brot their all with them very little at that I tell you Kate it looks hard smal children leaving their homes in the dead of night makeing all the haste pocable to reach our lines out of the reach of rebles before morning /

 

now something besides a darkie we live firstrate now had pork steak for dinner we have to go out an shoot what fresh pork and beaf we have we got 5 quarters of beaf one pig yesterday and about a bbl of shugar I expect we shal be very swee when we get home as we have had all the shugar and molases canda we could eat since we came to thiss place I wish you could but you are sweet enough without you will think we have forgot the sabath to be doing such work on Sunday but such is not the cace I could enjoy a sabbath in Danbury now as well as ever I could I know now what great privelages I did enjoy when I was there and feal very shure I should never want to trample them under foot as I have done if I wer there again As I sat on the banks of the bio yesterday / reading my Bible I thot of the dear ones in Danbury nealing around one comon alter hearing the words of council and prayr from our beloved brother G in imagineacion I seamed to be with you I wondered if the same thots wer passing in the breast of eany loved one there for uss far away I hope Kate the day will come when we shal meat again to prais our father in Heaven now Kate what are you dooing thiss winter do you go slay rideing now who is the luckey one is Mary gouing as much as she was God bless her and comfort her write me all the news do not put it off you cannot think how much good a letter from the loved ones at home dose uss down here 2000 milds from home it is near time for uss to be drumed to bed we are drumed to bed and drumed up for almost every thing we do we have a drum beat I shal have to bid you good night excuse mistakes I have wrote thiss in the time it would take to get ready at home. My love to all a share for yourself kiss Mary and Hattie for me the first time you se them good by From your brother Ed to Kate A

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