I send you                                                                                           Jan 4^the 1863

A peas of our

bread called

hard tack                                                                                 Camp Near Fredricksburg

 

Dear wife it being Sunday and not mutch to do I thought I would rite afew lines to let you know that I am well at presant and hope you all injoying the same blessing I should liket to of bin with you A christemas and went to churtch with you it is so long since I hav bin to churtch that it would seam good to get that privlage but mabee God will grant me that privlag with my friends soon Mary you say that wee have got A child that if wee both could be thare to train her in the way she should go that wee mite be proud of I trust her to god and you and am not/ afraid but she will have as good bringing up as if I was thare and not onley her but the others but I do hope that it wont be long before I can com home and injoy that blessing of meating all my friends it is rather tite plase whare wee are now but if I was out of this ware thay would not get me again I am just as mutch for the goverment as ever but not for speckltion and maney poor solgier has to lose his life for som men to fill thare pockets I supose that Ellan has more time to go to A dance than rite to me I think you was wise not to go on acount of talke but I would as leave you had went as not you go whare ever/ you think best and all is wright with me wee are on our olde camp yet but dont know how soon wee will have to move but wee cant winter hear very well on count of wood John I think is alital betar he is som lame yet that becker that was in with Mungar has had the feaver and thay say that his feet have turned black and swelld so that thay will have to cut them off and one by the name of Comstalk has got one foot in the same way tell Pa that I would like to com and have one rabit hunt with him this wintar for I supose that it is up thare wee hant got aney snow hear but the wind bloes coald and it/ fresis har at night it looks as if wee was going to have som rain and I hope that wee will so that wee can get into our winter qarters for it is kill the men off hear laing on the ground Mary I will rite as often as I can [paper fold] soon as I can get a way from this mean hole that it wont be long before I fetch you A long letar tell you more than I can rite Clark Widrick is sick but is abel to get around he is discurege and thinks that he wont get aney betar rite as often as you can for you are all that seames to take aney panis to rite to me no more at presant but remanes your loving husband

                                                                                                            James Swanson

 

it is about A weak since I recived a letar from aney body and it seames about A month

SOURCES