Jan 12^th 1864

                                                                                                            In camp near

Clear creek Mississippi

 

Dear Sister Mary

                                    I received your letter about two weeks ago and I now take the oppertunity to answer it there has not been much news to write about since I last wrote you. We are camped eight miles in the rear of Vicksburg.

 

We have got as good winter quarters as we would ask for our tents are raised four feet from the ground and we have got fire places in them all. I will be glad when we will get to sit doun by a stove onc more/

 

The weather is very nise pleasant although we have had some pretty cold weather Have you had any sleighing yet snow is pretty scearse here. Rain and mud are the most and the worst things that we have now.

 

There is not much sickness in the Battery now we lost one man day before yesterday his name was Charlie Wilson I will tell you those boys names that died in Natchez you wrote that Hunt wanted to know their names was Mervin Webb and Tommas Bennington they were bothe likely young men as there was in the Battery. I have nothing perticular for you to send by Mr Hunt you can send some dried fruit/ if you want to or any thing else. I am alwais glad to received any thing from home.

 

Our Captain is inlesting men out of the Battery to go into the Vetron Survise for three years or during the war he has got about 40 men in they get four hundred and two dollars bounty and a fourlough for thirty days I dont know when they will go home but I think soon. They did not get me in this time I have surved two years this month and one year more will make three and that will do for me. I am agoing to try it at least a while before I go in a gain. I sent sixty dollars home by express you did/ you did not say any thing about it if you rec. it tell me when you write

 

The Butter that you sent by Pope was first trate I found the lemnon in the whole all rite it did not do any hurt to the butter I guess that will do for to day write soon

                                                                                                George Wood

SOURCES