Dec 28^th 1864

Near Popular grove Church V^a

50^th NY engineers

 

Friend Mary it is with pleasure that I improve the first leasure time that I have had to answer your very kind & welcome letter which I rec^d three days ago & read with much pleasure I had begun to think that you had forgoton me or thought my letters not worth answering but I supose that time seems longer to us than it does to you for letters from friends is about all the comfort that we have down here since I wrote you last I have ben off on a raid I was gone six days I presume that you have seen the particulars in the papers it was general warrens raid on the / weldon railroad we had a good time onely rather stormy weather & it is raining here to night for it is after roll call I do not get any time to write day times I am buisy building me a tent now but there is no telling how long I shall stay in it after I get it done I had a letter from maryann about one week ago she was at fathers then but was agoing to start for vies in a few days she had ben out to see nan & staid about two weeks I had a letter from home last sunday night & a nice Christmas presant nan sent me a box of good things to eat & I had a good appatite for them it is hard that you can not even hear from oliver but I presume that you have heard from him before this for old sherman / has got savana & I saw in the papers where the soldiers had got their mail I can tell how they felt for I have ben six weeks with out hearing from home it has ben very quiet along the lines here until to day for some time but there is heavy firing on the right to night mary you spoke of our photographs you shall have mine as soon as I can get it taken the negative that nan has got is not a good one & I want to send you one as I look now but you would not know me for I have not shaved since last april I was very glad to hear of your good health for health is evry thing espesaly to a mother that is left alone with little children to take / care of I hope that this war will soon close so that we can come home & help take care of them it would be a great pleasure to me for I do so love little children maryann tells me that I have a pretty little girl that I have not seen flatery I presume for if it is even good looking it can not look any like its father but mary it seems strange to be writing about our children for it seems but a short time ago since we were small but minnie is six years old to day & Leslie was nine the 8^th of last october how swiftly time passes & that reminds me that it is agetting late & I have got three more letters to write yet to night so you will please excuse me this time & poor writing for my pen is a miserable thing

 

hoping soon to hear from you again I will bid you good night

                                                           

Write soon & oblige your ever true friend

Dave

To Mollie

                                               

my love to you & your little ones                       

dave

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