Dec 25/62

 

Good Morning All                                                                             

                        I wish you Mary Cristmas

 

            Do you hear it. No I guess you say we air off a visiting some where. well Bulley for you. Now for an old letter though I dont feel any like writing to day & dare say I shouldent if I wer where you are but as we are & I have nothing to do I will Wish you All a merry Cristmas though it does not look nor act much like it to day. no horses no cutters no sprees & much worse no Galls nor no anything neithor is the any snow theas weather is fine the sun shines warm & rite seemingly like spring. well I am farily lonedsom. the Boys has drawn for a army Cristmus present a Ration of whisk & feell quite well over it But I sold mine for 10 Cts & buy paper & stamp to make a visit to You though I dont feell like writing as much as I would wish to do the boys is all gone to the 154 Regt & 37^th to day except the sick ones. H. Frasy goes to the Regtamental hospital to day by the Docters orders has bin unwell for a long time now it is Crane Rogers & I that tents to gather. One by one keeps leaving this small line of tents. well 18 months longer such service uses up the name of the 64^th but what the is is perfect tigers wont give up for nuthing / & I dont believe nuthing will give up for them if they would do justice they would never venture another fight the is hardley a fit & substancial Officer in the Regt. But who cares for that nobody I guess at least the doesent appear to. the time of war is a comeing the [?] tide rolls high & breakes in the air: also the Union carries a big sale from their homes & dashes her men. But I hope the dashers will sease to come towards me any more though I have bin lucky in the past which I do want no more to come not a day passes but what dosesens of poor boys leave us to return no more But my health has bin exalent since I last returned to the Regt I took Edds advise & bought a bottle of red Pepper to Jamestown & it has bin my best holt for vitual kind sinc I came back. But I lost my Harveysack in the Battle of Fredricks Burg with evory thing in it. So I want you to buy a qtr of a $ bottle of the same & send it by mail. if we lay here long I shall soon be fit for duty again my side is getting better &c&c our Lieu is dead Died from a wound Lieu Darbey of Co A 64 has command of both Companey now C & A /

 

Well about the Box I hardley know. You say the question is can we stay here this winter or not well I dont know & there she stands you see But if you do send another be sure & send it to Norm Manley Washington D.C. or rather in care of him then he will forward on to me where ever I am if I am alive & if I am not it is just as wel

 

Well dont know but I am in a hurry or getting in a hurry by the looks of my writing. Guess I be. Dock I am a going to send you a tip top novel home to you. Also I will mention that I have sent $70.00 to washing to be expressed to you & have sent in a letter $25.0 before I am rather uneasy about both sent the $70.00 by the Old Chaplain to washington I done it up in an invelop & marked it here so all he has got to do is to put it into the Express Office & let her slide. I got read of it on the 22 of Dec & have neglected writing to you about it so perhaps you had better attend to it immedatly after you get this. I have lost a little sinc I expressed it so I have not got but little over $5.00 left please send me a $2 couple worth of stamps their not to be got verry handy & send me a quire of the best of writing paper you can rake / also a pack of Envelopes of the best & finest cut that is any stile.

 

Now how do you like it. Lant wiant sits here rather thin. N. Butler came over & stayed with me over night we had Bulley visit he sent his best respects to you all it does not agree with him Eb. Stones Brother James is in that Reg & I am a going over to see him. Bill Wickham is out her not very well. I believe the rest of our Boys that I havent mentioned is all right. Mother what money you & Father want is to use use it & take a paper for the rest & let me know how much you let out I know you will do the best you know how I want to make the dollars count so if I should ever get back home I could try & make a living & if I should not use it as is needed. I have spard so that maby I shall haft to send home again before next paday but cant bear to buy any thing for their so high we have plenty of hard tack since the Battle. my paper is getting short write soon take good care of my colt & calf &c &c write about them write the nuse &c &c I am in hopes Em will come out here this winter & stay with me & pedel I sent him a letter & a little [?] in it but pay him what I oe him so write soon from your Son Ephraim E. Brown

 

Give my best respects to all inquiring friends

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