Bell plains Dec the 9 1862

 

Dear wife Do you write to me I have writen three letters to you and have only received one I received your leter and was very glad to here from you we are now at Bell plains and expect to cross the river to night and expect to have a battel before tomorrow night and I hope we will have good luck in our adventures Dear wife I would like to see you very much if I could see you to night I would feel very happy last sundy we had a fine meeting at eleven oclock and in the evening we had another prare meeting it is very cold down here now but thay say it has / ben colder now than it has all last winter we marched last saturday and the mud was very deep now we are sleeping on the ground if we cant get hay or straw to put in our tents sence the last march we have not had enough to eat because the mud was so deep that the wagons could not get up with us we fasted two days but now we have plenty every time we march thay give out three days rachens that is because thay cannot tell when thay get more you wrote me a long letter and I was very glad that you did for I took a greiteal of comfort reading it /

 

Oh Dear Cathaline you spoke about courage a man that has no courage has no buisness here but the bravest men in the wourld would flinch at first to here the thundering of the canon and the bumshells streaming thrue the are but keep up good faith for I think we will meet again I would give more for the meeting with you than the hole world may god grant us a meeting once more here upon earth I suppose you prey for my return but if it is Gods will that I must dye here then it is well for he nows best I spoke about your letters I got two of them and this / is the sixth one I have writen to you I told you about Davids enlisting in the tenth rigement but the name it has changed to the 177 volenteers I think if I was in his place that I would stay thare not to say that I would desert but never enlist give my little sweet babs each a good kiss for me I have no more to write at present but still remane your affectionate

Husband Isaac Stafford

 

Write as soon as you can and remember your Dear one wich is far away

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