December 15^th 1863

                                                Camp of the 64^th N.Y. S. Vols.

                                    Near Brandy—Station. Virginia.

 

            Dear Parents

                                    John and Lucinda Brown

 

After so long neglecting you about Writing and Received so many letters from you I will now take the happy oppertunity of answering the whole of them at once. I hardly know what to say to you for an excuse but I shall make out to you that I have not bin Idle all of the time. Mother We had a hard Raid over the Rap[?] then came back to old camp and lay 2 days and while their I wrote one letter and that was to you then we broke camp and went to Stephens Burg and their we lay some 3 days and then we came here and settled in the winderness and we have bin so busy puting up winter qtrs I have had no time to write or do any thing onley work at my shanty and as luck takes us I spose we will be obliged to leave them. Steph Jud Bartlet and my-slef tents to gather and we have got the best shanty the is in the Brigade and to top off on we have a good express box from hom. and to top off on I found a verry nice little Union Flag in the Box but it now/hangs in the back end of the tent over the head of our bunck. O! it looks so pretty. Every one that comes in has to speak about it an say something about it. the little cake was good as ever also the berrys and them straw-berries wer the best of any thing I have eaten since I have bin in the Army. you no kneed to sent as much pepper as you did. the raisens came good also the frid meat and to finish up on I shall have to tell you that the boots wer to large and I took a not due next pay day of $12.00 for them and if they would have fitted me I would not took 15 for them but hope by the time you get this you will have another pair ready to send I kneed a pair verry bad and if you have got them you can send them with Mr Bartletts box we wrote about having a box sent and if it has not started send them in that so I can get them I have wrote for 2 Cheese and I sent the masure in Granfath letter and will send another in this so if you did not get that you can take this and have a pair made I would like a heel plate on and small toe plate tell Jud to fix them and I will make it right with him the other wer verry good boots onley to long by a rodd/and if you have time and can get them right before the box starts I want them put in and if the box is started you can send them by mail if they weight 4 lbs it will cost 48 cts because Steph has had tobacko vest and nomber little things sent and it about cost 12 cts per lb. and if you cant send them by mail make a little box put in a few dried aples & a little butter and &c & send them as soon as possible I sent for the Chese and spose it is on the way by this time for it is some over a week now I am a fraid we will have to moove & leve our winter qtrs but if we do we will go to the rear some wheres near Senter Ville we expect to moove in the morning. if you have got a tub of butter to sell you may send it to me, and if not it is all the same. I hope I shall be lucky enough to get my cheese before long becaus I want some to eat and speckulate on &c. but the most I want is my boots. it will do to bake a cake or to & put in the box because it is cold enough be shure and not packing little thing on the side or out edg of the box because the box is all tore open at head qtrs to examine for the Grog and some times the is/little notions took and Uncle John had a little box come & all the was in it when it arrived was a pair of boots & little pieces of cheese. about the boys Steph has got a verry bad cold and is not verry well Jud is all right also Tracy and Bill he is as full of his dry jokes as ever henry More is in the Batery and spose he will stay their till the time of his Enlistment expires. he is well Snider he is well I see him once in 2 or 3 weeks. O’hin is up to Division head qtrs yet he is well or was about a week ago when I last saw him he feels rather bad but guess they wont make out much against him O’hin thinks it is rather hard & I cant blame him for it perhaps he will have his trial before long so perhaps we will know by next month. I intend to go and see how he gets along before long if we dont moove to morrow and I hope we wont for we have got the best qtrs we ever had a splendid fire place our shanty is 10 by 12 and about 7 foot high we could take comfort this winter we live high now I tell you but it is the first time in some time . well the Boys is howning me to get up and get dinner so of cours I shall have to. we have soft bread butter tea potatoes & meet & that is something that we dont get every day now I tell you well I shall write more regular after this unless we moove and if we do you need not look for another in 10 days please write soon give my love to GrandFathers people &c this from yr Son Ephraim E. Brown to Parents write soon soon

SOURCES