Camp Near Brandy

                                                                                                Station Va Jan 25^th 64

 

Dear Brother & Sister

                                                I will with great pleasure take the pen in hand to try and scratch off a few yet imperfect lines to you.

 

I am well and tough as a horse, with the exception of a slight cold but that we call nothing here, when there are so many diseases that are worse the measeles are in the Regt and is going hard with the Boys the recruits brought them into the Regt. So I think I am one of the lucky ones by having / them when I was small. but any such disease is a bad thing to get in to a Regt. you know nothing how it will spread.

 

Well I got your letters larst night and you had better beleive that I was glad to hear from you again and above all to hear that you were all well, and it does not seem posible that the baby can go alone I would realy like to see him but probaly he will be a big boy before I ever see him, and perhaps never life you know here is verry uncertain. but if we are only prepared it will make no difference where we die. but then it has all ways seemed to me that I shall live to go home / but if the fatal ball should reach me you can say that you had a Brother that dyed for his Country’s cause and I will as ever defend it to the larst.

 

Well I am answering both of your letters in one so I will keep on. you prate about my picture I will try and have it taken as soon as we get paid off, which we expect to before long but I want you should be sure to have yours taken for me as soon as it is convenient, for as I wrote before you know nothing of a soldiers feelings here & of how much pleasure it gives him to have such relics as pictures to look at nor how much good it will / do a fellow to get a letter from his friends & relation and long ones to. I never got a letter that was to long yet, and I have had some verry long ones to

 

According to all accounts that neighborhood is changed a great deal since I have been away and then to see how every one is getting married well if I was there I presume I should be, so I wont say any thing, except [?] is agoing to take this life single is’nt he, ha ha the little Mortial Marshall man.

 

We were are having nice weather here now, warm & pleasant. we have not had but to snow squalls. they did not amount to much either

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