Camp Near Fredrickesburg    Febu 15/63

 

Dear wife I roat to you yestarday in sutch A hurey that I thought I would rite you A few lines more I am well at presant and hope that this few lines will find you all the same if you could step in my shanty this morning you could see me and one of my tent mates riting eatch of ous riting to thoes that is deares of all to ous on earth and the other is on gard the one that is with me this morning is James Secor and the other one is William Robarts from Rome thare is A grate diferance betwean James an Frank Secor for James Secor meanes to try and do what is wright and thare is som man about him our house is about 6 by 8 feet and is bilt up on the sides about 4 fee with loges then coverd with our sheltar tents for A roof so that wee can stand up strate in the sentar and on one end wee have got A small fire place wee hat quite A feast yestarday wee had som flour an James Secor and I made som fried cakes without Shugar for that we cant by hear and hungerford from Rome sent tow/ barels of dryed appels for the regiment so wee had som appelsauce without sugar and our cook had tee for suppar how would you like to of taken suppar with ous for everything was nice I expect that I will have to do my own cooking when I get home for I can cook so well and wash my own cloes for I wash without tub or washboard and heat my water in A three quart bason this morning it raines real hard and as I came past our hospital thare was aman laed oute in the rain dead with his rubar blanket over him it looked hard to me but that aint nothing [paper fold] you in the other letar that James Re came an stayed with me all night an I got A pas and went back with him wee had A good visit but I would rather it had binn his youngest sister and then I would of stayed with her I think I hear you saying that so now if you want to send aney thing by George send moste aney but hard tack and it will be exceptal hear and I dont care if you send my discharge from old uncal Sam I would be as thankfull for that as aney thing you could send for this fiting for nigars/ and politicks wont pay and I dont want to do it thare is som quear movements hear now but what for I cant tell the last time wee martched I found a testiment and wee have comenest reading it through wee read tow or three chapters every night and it seames that God sent that book to me for som good for I think it has don som alradey to me and the others that tent with me Marey you roat to me som time ago that William was agoing to rite in A few dayes but I have not got aney letar from him or George in about tow month and father has not roat to me this long time and I have roat tow letars to John Birnie and have not got aney answer yet it is quear that thay dont rite once and A while to me thay dont know how mutch good it dos me to hear from them it is rather glomey hear som times and wee nead something to wake ous up deares Marey I dont know as I have roat sence anoff to pay the postige but if you think I have I will try and rite another thare is not mutch news to rite this time Marey I want you to have desant cloes/ to wear and the children to and to go to churtch as mutch as posibal and I wished that I could com an go with you for our Chapland dos not preatch very often and when he dos not amount to mutch

 

no more at this time my love to you

 

an all the reast from your afectionate

 

                        husband           James Swanson

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