Newport News Va. Jan. 7^th 1864

 

            Dear Mamie.

                                    I have neglected to write you for a long time & have received three from you since writing you last. After receiving one to day my conscience would not allow me to neglect you longer. There is but one thing I take more pleasure in than writing my darling & that is receiving one from her. I wish I was home so that you and I might keep house all alone during mothers absence The most I care about her being gone for a short time is that she would not be there to call us up to Breakfast so early. You had your wish as to my being comfortable at the date you last wrote I am as comfortable as one can expect to be in camp. It has been so cold though that I have had to lie close enough to John to make you feel jealous if he were a woman There is considerable snow on the ground now the first that has fallen this season it fell last night It will remain but a short time/

 

“Sam. Avery” is married Well!! Then he has found out that “Spectacles” possesses the following qualifications to use his own language she is loving will look well when she is old is kind to children will be competent to have & rear a goodly number of them She must be content with having Sexual intercourse once a year and at such times must be sure to conceive I think he will (or at least I should) defer the taking of “that prize” ‘till some important day say Fourth of July or or the first Monday in Aprill or the last Saturday in June the day they go to Black Pond. He is dead to the world now he will give his whole attention to saving money & so let him rest “Peace to his Ashes” You write me that the Elder is not to preach to the Shunocites another year who is & where does the scene of the Elders labors lie? There are plenty of rumors about camp as to what we (the 21^st) are to do in future first we hear that we are to return to Portsmouth & the next some thing else The latest rumor is that/we are going to Point Lookout The depot for Rebel prisoners. I hope we shall not have to move again this winter & have the trouble of again building winter quarters. Lieut W^m G Hawkins has tendered his resignation which if accepted I will tell you about It is a long story. There are a number of vacancies about to be made in the Regt. I do not expect to be benifited by any of them I do not dress well enough for them. My old coat looks like H—l. But “let her rip” I am desponding perhaps the next time I shall feel more encouraged Bill Frink is still in the Hospital He will not recover soon nor rapidly. I feel to night as if I wish I was out of the Army and most any where else tommorow I shall feel all right. * * Almost all of the old troops are reenlisting The 8^th C.V. I suppose have has started for home I dont know whether a Thousand would temp me to stay after my first term had expired or not But they all think their that the war will end before their first term expires/

 

It after Roll call and I must soon bring my letter to a close. I cannot be thakfull enough that I have such a dear good wife to write me such kind encouraging letters & how much I wish I could be with her to night Enclosed I send My Bounty check & I hope to be able to send something more often than I have It has cost me an enormous amount of money for the past six months could of spent foolishly as all are liable to spend their money But I have done as well as any of them Perhaps I should have been more thoughtfull if you had been in need of it like many, & I certainly should if I had been in any place but the army. I hope you will not think it looks bad for our future for me to have been so improvident for it is not a habit formed but arose from circumstances. When you wrote me about your bying your cloak I cut me more than the worst lecture could to think of the money that I was using and to see how you felt about that I hope you will always be plain with me in these matters and not afraid to speak and make known any wish and it shall be my first endeavor to comply with it Good bye much love & a kiss

                                                                                                C. G. Stanton

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