Camp Near Bell Plain Va

January 1 1863

 

Dear parents

And Brothers and Sister i Wish you all a happey Newyears and hope it will be so to all thar it want very hapey for me for i was on guard at Brigad head Quarters all day and all night to and was lonsom as hell to all thar it was as nice a day as i ever see in June in Vermont for super i had som whiskey and som hard tack to and salt pork and that was raw and som coffey to and i wistful eye that looked toards the north but all in vane for i couldent see out of Virginia But my thoughts was in Vermont to But i dident get drunk for i couldent get whiskey enough 

 

            But worse than all of that when on guard 8 of us was cald to go and be barers for to burey on poor and unfortonait soldier out of the 2 Vermont which maid me feel all over ter do sech athing as that on the first day of the year and it wood if maid you feel jest so to to see a man rold up in a woolen blanket and then throw dirt on him But it cant be helped hear for thousands are searved jest so and som worse to But it is all for the union But i dont see it jest in that light do you i have maid up my minde that all this war is for is to see which side can kill the most men it is got up by a mess of Blud thirstey cusses in the north and then some in the South to / And evey one of them felows aughto be in hell or som other plase Well in the Batteld field is bad enough for them for if they was in on or to they wood jest say Boys go home But no for they can jest set in they big chars and say that Reblion must be put down or every man in the north shall be killed But jest let them work for the South is jest as near whiped as she ever will be bay the north for our men wont fight if they can get red of it and a good meny can ithink Eneway 300 thousand of them will get out of it soon and then 200 hundred thousand more will go and then the armey is gon to hell as shore as the devel or som other plase not half as good / Espesilay old Abrm Linclon and his cabenet to and the house of Congres will seank to the last pit of eternity and a good soldier will persevear till he gets out of the armey and then he will be all right ithink So eneyway for the armey is a bad plase for men in the Armey Well jest let me no what cuind of atime you had at [?]

 

Jest give my love to all of my frends take som your self so no moer at presant Right soon

 

            John. W. Pitridge to Jarvis Phelps

 

i haint had a letter from

you for 10 or 15 days

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