Camp of the Fourteenth N. J. Vols
Near Culpepper, Virginia Sept 28 1863.
Dear Mother & Father
I have just received a letter from you and will seat myself and drop you a few lines in answer I was happy to hear from you again and glad to hear you were middling well. we are still in the vicinity of Culpepper and have been changing our camp today and fixing up in style, and now I expect we will move in / a day or two since we have got our tents up snug. I am in very good health as usual. There is no news in camp of any importance nor no signs of a fight. I hardly think we will have a general engagement this fall but it is getting dark I must stop & finish my letter after supper if I can get a candle
Well Mother I have finished my supper and to my delight found a piece of candle. I had beef steak, soft bread coffee & apple butter for supper I dont want anything any better than that to go to bed on. you wanted to know how that mackeral tasted Well Mother it tasted natural I had some salt salmon, / that kind of tasted to, you can bet. Oh, I havn't lost my taste, ha, ha. that geranium leaf looked & smelled like home. I couldn't make out what the other was. well Mother I sent my money $18.00 by Major Warner our Paymaster and he delivered it over to Col. Cook who was at that time in Washington and perhaps before this you have received the check. I dont expect we will get any more money in the space of three months. Oh! I almost forgot to tell you that the box of shirts was received by the squad of three, namely Chadwick, White & myself. / I like my shirts first rate & think they were very cheap for they charge $3.00 apiece for one shirt at the Sutler shanties and not one quarter as good as one of them
well I'll tell you mother if I wanted to get a moskito net or a weak fish [?] I should buy those shirts in preference to buying a net then I would have two in one, shirt & net both, ha, ha. I am rigged out pretty well now for the chilly winds I have new suit all the way through. The day past has been fine. its a little chilly tonight, but just cold enough to sleep comfortable under our woolen blankets. It is almost time for Roll Call so I must close. I have no way of sending that leaf, ha, ha.
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I guess there's no danger of my getting to spunky Mother, ha ha. I will look to God Dear Mother for He alone can supply our wants may Heaven bless you & the Lord preserve you all & shield you from all danger. I guess Ann Lib has had a rough time of it from what accounts I hear through the Keyport boys. Good night write soon
Your loving & Affect Son. Albert.