Camp Russel Dec 13^th 1864.

 

                                    Dear friend

                                                            with pleasure I improve these few moments of leasure to acknowledge the receipt of your letter dated Nov 26^th. it had been to Washington and Baltimore conciquently I did not receive it as soon as I should or would if I had remained in the hospital. as the old saying is, better late than never. & so I thought while I was peruseing the lines pened by you. I wrote you 10 days ago and had made up my mind to wait untill I received a letter from you. I think that was four I had written and received no answer I must confess I was ashamed after I had mailed it to think perhaps you had ceased writeing to me/& desired to cease corispondance when I rec your letter & found so many appollogies and excuses. I will have to ask your pardon for censureing you wu rongfully. I know you will grant it. oh dear me I cant write my fingers are so cold. when I wrote before we had not had any verry cold weather then. the next day it commenced snowing and it has been verry cold ever since. I was on picket last sunday night & their was three froze to death one on the next post to the one I was on. it is going to be verry unpleasant Soldiering this winter. but I think I shall live through it you wished to know how long I had to stay in the armey yet a little over eight months then I supose you will expect to see your humble corispondant. wait patiently and I will gratify your desire (if you have such a desire) you wanted me to write all the good times I had when I was at home. if I had got a furlough I shou would had a good time but I did not get a chance to go home and I cant tell you what good times I had./

 

I wrote to hattie four weeks ago & received no answer yet. you did not want me to wait as long as you did to write and I dont think I have I received your letter this morning and it is not noon yet. I hope you will be as punctual in answering this. we are not troubled with the Rebs any now and I do not think we will be this winter. if we are I.E. our armeys successful in North & South Carolina’s Georgia and at Richmond I dont think we will have much fighting to do next summer. you said you was looking forward for sleighing and pleasant times but not such as their would be if the soldiers could be home (perhaps you did not think of one soldier when you was thinking of pleasant sleigh rides) be assured I would like to be at home to enjoy the merry times of which can only be enjoyed in winter. mabe I am not thinking of some one in Mich who I would like to enjoy a pleasant ride with. I will lieve you to guess. please excuse poor right writeing for my fingers are numb with the cold

 

                        I remain yours truly    Stephan A. Matthews

                                    please write soon

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