Jan 11th 1863
Head Qts Rhodes Brigade army
of Virginia
Dear Sister
I reckon if you will think from
the heading of my letter that I have become
a Genl but I aint I am only the [the?]
Genls body guard ( ie Mr Rhodes)
the regt is off on picket duty and I am
sitting up here in the house (up stairs of a
negro citchen) by the big a life, but I am
going to stop doing guard duty of any kind
now I belong to a corpe of sharp-shooters
which excuses me from guard we are form
ed for the purpose of going in advance in time
of battle & to shoot officers, we are to be
armed with the best of guns
our pickets and the yanks are quite familiar
there is not a day passes that they are
crossing and recrossing the river and
trading coffee for tobacco &c [??]
Well Sister
your letter of the 29 ult, has just [1]
come to hand Lewis also received one the 5th of Jan
I often think as you do, will this war ever
close so that we can be together but
[Page 2]
different from you, with me hope never expires
the God of battles has brought me thus far and
I can but still have hope, you ask why I dont
come home, well I will tell you why
did you not know a good soldier never has
any chance they get off through pretended sickness
and many other ways there has not ben
a furlough given from the army for a long
time its from hospitals that furloughs are granted
Genl Jackson has recently sined an order for
to grant furloughs I dont know how many
will be allowed to go one from a compa
ny is all that will be permitted at present
and who do you suppose they are giving the
[prefference?] to a few that reenlisted last year
at Norfolk there is seven in the company
now all of which will be allowed to go home
before I can get a chance to draw for
one those sevem reenlisted men drew for
a furlough this week [if?] Some get
it I dont know when [he?] will get off, [for?]
after he send up his application it will stay
in the hands of the officials [8?] days its
[?] to go from the Col up to Genl Lee
Sister I know that you have good reasons to
despond but dont let such things weigh or [hamper?]
in your mind if neither of your brothers should never
[Page 3]
return there should be one consoling thought
that we give our lives in an honorable cause and an
other thing you have some children that I believe will
make you happy in after years if not a brother lives
through the contest we die that them and you may
live a long a happy life for we shall master
the enemy yet, its perched on our banner now
I know there is many thing that looks hard and
unreasonable but such things must be for we are
hard formed on all [???]
there is one thing that gives you and Ma much
trouble and all other mothers and Sisters that
thinking and [a?] imagineing hardship and suffering
of son and brother let me tell you the candid
truth when we get sick (soldiers) we then lack of
attintion but otherwise we need for nothing we get
plenty eat we seldom suffer with cold if we do
its through pure laziness, you see we have been
all the winter without a shelter not even a tent
until very recently for all that I have suffered
it as little will as I ever did in my life
I can sleep here with the ground frozed under
and the frost all over me a heep warm with
less cover than I could at home in bed did
you not know that a man can stand more than
a horse Sister adding all together your [????]
are many but you have fared well to many
[Page 4]
[?]r people in this country suppose such a b[????]
[this?] should befall your town as did frederick
burg every thing destroyed even to bed clothes
thrown into the streets and burned and houses
literally torn to pieces with shot and shell
be like me Sister never despond as long as health
is given you and yours I am always satisfied as
long as I am well with a few exceptions that
is when the bomshells are falling thick as hail
just then is the time I want to be some
where else
you did not say how John was getting about
tell him that I would like to see him very
much but to stay a way at home as long as
so possible why dont Jenni [?????] and
[Richard?] write to me I wonder if its because I
dint write to them I wonder if they thins
I can sit down any time I get [???] and
write like they can if so just inform them
other wise Pa and Fanny Jones [???] to be
very thick here of late, talking about a [meny?]
up here on a visit if I war there and was that
thick with her he would say as usual [?] with
Jim I think you might do to ther [?] that
I shall write to Eligah soon I am ashamed of
my self now about him poor fellow could I do
some thing for him I tell you what I could do if I
had a chance I could [kill?] old Swanney [west?] as good
as I would a yankee, I sent a letter [?????????] [2]
Mr R[????] with some money let me know if you got [it?]