1863 Camps Near port royal Va January the 10th
Dear and affectionet Companion I am permitted
By the help of god to Day to seat my self
to Drop you afew lins wich leaves me
in good helth and in good spirts
and I hop that those few lins may
Come to hand in Due time and find
you and my lovely children enjoying
the Saim life Blesing I receved the
letter that you sent to me By Thomas
Right and the drawers that you
Sent to me I was mity glad to
hear from you and to hear that you
was adoing as well as you was I
Did Not Need the drawers [but I?] may [1]
Need them Beetwen this [and?] Spring
I was glad to receive them you
Stated that you had Not got But one
letter from me in 2 months or more
I rote one every week to you for the last
2 monthes and I have only got
one from you tell Thomas Right
Brought that one to me and I
thought that ther was Something
the matter the reson that you Did
Not rite to me and you Say that you
Did Not git them I Sent you one
[page 2]
with 10 Dollars in it and I Sent
one to westpoint By hand and I
told the man that I Sent it By
to mail it at westpoint and he
Said that he would Bee Shure to Do
So and I Caint tell what is the
reson that you have Not got them
unless it is in the fault of the
Post masters I spent the Balance of
my money that I Drawed when
Daniel Coggin was out hear and when
I drawed the Next time I onley
Drawed 34 Dollars and I amed to
Send you 30 Dollars of that and I
Sent you 10 Dollars in aletter and
I lost [???] my Pocket Book and [2]
24 Dollars I will Send you Some
more as soon as I Draw agin
I wount you to rite to me if you
get have got the letter that I sent
to you with 10 Dollars in it or Not
I waunt you to rite to me if you
Need Any money and if you Do
I will try to git Some and send
to you times is hard and every
thing verry hy and I hear that
the times is as hard in Chambers [3]
as tha [well?] Can[???] and I hear
[page 3]
that provisions is verry hy and scarce
and I hear that tha men that has
got Any thing to sell that
tha wount let it go at No price
hardly and tha had Better Consider
that tha have to Die as well as i Do
and I think that tha ought to do
that we ar fighting for them as
much So as we ar for our Selves
and tha Dont Seam to Cear for
Nothing So as tha Can Stay at
home and git all that the poor
people Can make this war will
Breake Some time or Nother I
think and then every dog will have
his Day I Dont No that thar is Any
Chaince for me to git afurlough
if the Company was all together
together I think that the chaince
would Bee Better for afurlough
I waunt you to rite to me as soon
as you git this and rite to me if
have Anuff to eat or Not and rite
haw your Cows is Doing and rite
to me how the children is all
Doing and if tha all keep well and
rite how graney and Berthia is and
I send Send them Both howda and I
[page 4]
send howda to you and all the
children I waunt you to tell Mr
Baty and mother that I wount them
to rite to me So I will No whare to
rite to them give my Best respect
to all enquiring frinds hug and
kiss all the children for me and tell
them that I love them as well as
ever I did if Not Better I wount to
See you and them mity Bad and I
would Bee the gladest in the
world to Bee at home with you &
them I wount you to rite to me how
the Baby Comes on rite Just as
Soon as you git this letter and rite
all the News So will Clos for this
time Nothing more onley remains
yours in love til Death E. B. Coggin