Bridgeport Alabama

Decem 14^th 1863

 

Dear Wife I sit down once more to write to you I am well and hope you are the same I received your letter today of the 6 and 7^th and was very glad as I have been looking anxiously some time I hope there is nothing serious the matter with the Children you say you are busy butchering I wish I could help you then them sausages I could destroy some we dont get such things here we get sowbelly some shoulders and beef that is so poor they cant hardly walk well perhaps you would like to kno what I had for dinner I will tell you I had coffee beefstake onions slised in vinegar and peppered hardtack and a peach pie so that was not slow for a soldiers dinner / I bought 6 onions for 10 cts and a pie for 25 the vinegar I got there was a barrel fell off a waggon one night as it passed through our foart so our Regiment lit on it I got 2 quarts excelent vinegar that money I expect it will be all right yet I hope so as you need it if yours is all anymore You done right to get a stove I want you to live as well as your means will affoard I expect the next time I get pay we will settle our clothing and my bill is heavy so I wont get much money as to the weather it is nice today but it has rained 2 days steady today is sunshine and rather cool for Alabam I sleep comfortable now Fred and I have our house alone Myres has a Division Teem to drive so he hante here any more we each have our bed alone I have the upper bunk I have 2 blankets / and half pup tent and my old rubber that does verry well we have no drawers and many have only pieces of shirts consequently it is cold standing guard at night but I dont have that to do all I do now days is call roal 3 times a day detail and repoart my guards at 8 AM see to getting rations for the Co repoart the sick if any Boss things generaly. I have nothing new to write this time I believe the old Tennissee flows along as usual only it took a few rebs under lately they were crossing 35 hundread prisoners and the pontoon broke and spilt some in 7 or 8 rebs dround and one of our men a guard of the 90^th O.V.I John Savages Battery is across the river at Bridgeport John is not along he was left at Memphis sick I wrote a letter last week or Saturday in it I spoke about a furlow well it is made / and the Colonel has it he sais that it had better not start yet for there is a good many goan and if I wate a little it will stand a better chance to pass he thinks it will go afterwhile so I must wate I was in hopes I could get it through in time to get home by Newyears day if I get one atall I have a big petition with the furlow if I had shoulder straps it would be no job to get a furlow for nearly all have been home one Private got a furlow and started yesterday he is of Co. D. Co. C has the poores chance for any thing we have no officers to do any thing for us our 1^st Lieut Beer cant expect anything of him as he is never with the Regt and if he was his influance is small he is a Val man Perhaps I may be luckey enough to get a furlow if so somebodys coat tale will stick out behind sartin I will change front to the rear on Doublequick I dont expect to get to stay long at home for i cant get more than 20 days then it is a long road to come and go— / but if I can only stay 2 or 3 days I can see and have a chat anyhow and eat some of your good things I got a letter from Jef at Johnsons Island tother day I sent him one in return if you get this write and let me kno all the news of the neighborhood and if that old coat is good for anything if it is I wont get one yet if not I will if I get to come home if I can get one here I dont nead one much but if I get North I will shiver well I thought of sending another ring but I will waite awhile I have 2 I made one black one and one I make of a Stoneriver shell one that was caried in my haversack all summer I have one I made of lawrel root that is all the go now the root was got at the foot of Lookout Mountain at Chattanooga / my shell ring is not large enough for you perhaps it will do for Mariah Boyer as you said she wanted one the one I sent last week is of Reb manufacture the one I have is expresly for my Bigger half one other thing I will mention there is many regiments there time will expire next spring they are many of them enlisting again they enlist as before for 3 years or dureing the war they get 4 hundred Dollars bounty paid with there wages 75 down then 30 a month wages and bounty together and 30 days furlow rite away lots of our Regiment is going if the order comes to this regiment I think Charley wont go if I serve my 3 it will do for me I will close this and if you cant read it save it until I come no more at present from your Charley

 

[margins]

 

if you got my picture let me kno if yo Please

 

I wish you had some of my coffee rice and beans I have about one peck of browned coffee about 5 lbs rice and one peck of beens I have 2 quart cans of shugar and a bushel of hard tack and about 15 pounds sowbelly

 

You said it was a pity to waste Paper so thought I

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