Camp Near Port Royal
Feb the 10th A D 1863
Dear Wife
I agin take my pen in
hand to wright you a fiew
lines. though my pen is very
bad I can scarsly wright with
it I can inform you that I am
in good helth at presant and
hope When this letter comes to
hand it may find you all
well and doing well I have
no news of great importance
to wright to you James L. Shouse
come here Last monday a weak
a go and was taken sick that
eavning with a chill and continued
geting worse until he died
I saw him on monday morning
and a tuesday morning I saw
him again and he was sensless and
speachless he look as if he was
dying i would not of known him
if it had been any wher else
[page 2]
he looked so bad in so short a time
poor feller has gon as many will
have to go before this ware ends
his poor wife and children I pitty
them, and think if mine was in
such a condition what would they
do if I am not with them and
am not much account when I am
there. I would have wrote to you
before this but I expected to come
home before a letter could come
the way they lay by on the way
I sent up a furlow the third of
this month and I have scarsly
herd from it saince gen hoke
signed it last I herd from it I am
geting tired wateing for it and
concluded to wright again and
give the furlow our. I think the
furlows are promise to the soldiers
to keep them in good hart and
to keep them from runing away and
comeing home as they will a good
many go in the Spring when the come
[page 3]
I think there will be another
battle here as soon as the
wether and the ground gets so
the yankeys can advance they
tried it a fiew weeks ago and
their artilery mired down so they
had to turn back and put it off
until the wether gesto be good for
the business. If I get my furlow
soon I may miss it as I think
they will try it again they furlows
are very short only ten days to stay
at home If I dont get my furlow
soon or runaway I will not get
home soon or until piece is made
you must do the best you can
if I donot get to come I guess it
is the best that you didnot
send a box as a great many has
been broke open that was started
to this regt I must close as it is
geting dark wright soon and give
me all the news your husband
M A Zimmerman J.C. Zimmerman
[page 4]
This morning the 11th of
Feb I concluded to finish my letter
yestarday was a prety warm day
this morning it is cloudy and a
snowing a little. I think we will
have some more bad wether we
have had some very cold bad
wether for the last fiew weaks
Our Regt is on picket at Port Royal
about three miles from camp I was
left as camp guard to gard some
men that has been at home and come
back since the battle at Fredericksburg
they have nuthing but a little fly to
shelter under all this bad wether I
do not feel as well this morning as
I did yestarday i have not hern from
my furlow yet This Regt is in a half
mile of the 21st Regt and in the same
bregaid it has all North Carolinians
in it I see some of the 21st every day
Wright soon so no more
J C Zimmerman
M. A. Zimmerman