Cecil Jan^y 22^nd 1882

 

Dear Brother

                        It is a long time since i heard from you and family this leaves us all well and hope it will find you all the same it is very cold and stormey here to day rained yesterday cleared up cold in the night and snowed the roads are knee deep with mud if they freeze now and it snows more it wont be so bad geting a round it snowed here Monday night right on top of the mud so did not make very good sleding I got my new sled home on it and took Mollie and the two little girles twice in it but it looks now like as if I might get a chance to use it yet I have been choping this winter making pit posts and rails. /

 

Mother says you are still at rocky hill I hope you are doing well and making money some the small pox is all the talk and pinkeye. here there is a case of smallpox at McDonald a mong the french and the tyefloid fever is bad too we have been trying to vaccinate the children but have not got it to take yet but the last has not had time yet as it takes from six to twelve days. We have a neighbor lives on the Old Barclay place [?] he was acquainted with the Boyes in the first New Jersey Cavelry he was in one of the Pennsylvania cavelry I dont know the rigment or company he says youre rigment and his always fought to gather his name is William John Rippie a tall slim man he spoke about Col Janway. he dident like him and Byers he speeks well of him I told him a bout the log / cabin you was shooting at when wonded I told him I couldent remember the name of the battle but thought it culpeper corthouse he thought he mind a bout a log cabin at that place he said the armey laid at warington one winter and the offerser detailed men to cut wood for the rebs and they all got tired of it so the Jersey Boys guns used a brass shell and they bored holes in the sticks of wood and put the catridge in and pluged the hole and blowed the stores up so they diden detail them any more Write if you know him or not he likes to talk a bout it I told him a bout that Offerser that his saber broke in his hand and he was taken prisenor he said such an offercer calling him by name I cant mind the name but said he was an Englishman and a splendid swordsman. /

 

I wish you were here to have a good talk with him and me I think I could listen to you all night Well Brother what do you think of Guiteau dont you think the sooner they hang him the better I think if they let him go clier they will have plenty of insane men of his sect to let go cleer they never ought to have arested him ought to hung him up to the first lamppost they come to as I am coming to the end of my paper I will have to be drawing to a close we all send our love to you all wife and Babyes and keep a good portion for your self if you can scend me a good boy a bout 13 years old do so as I have scowered

 

[top upside down]

 

the country all over for such a boy but cant find one of that kind Direct to Cecil Washington Co. Pa.  Charlie

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