Manassas Junction V.a.
December 22nd 1861
Dear oald Brother
I Seat my self this moning to inform
you that they have mooved us a gain they
mooved us from the Camps doun Below
general Earleys head quarters to a little white
house on Bull Runn whare we are now
washing I Just thought I would write
you a fiew lines to let yous know that I
am well at present and hope when thees
fiew lines Comes to hand they may find
yous all in the same state of health I found
Mrs Bosts likeness on your Bear skin when
I went to get it out of Roughs cabben and
I have it safe for you when you Return
I want you to Bring me a sheepe skin for
an apron when you Come and a Big Jug
of good Brandy I have Returned my gun
and Expect to Keep up the Shop all the
time till my time is out from what the
Cornel told me the other day day Before
yesterday he told me that he wanted me to
take Charge of the shop and put the Boys
to work But you know how the thing
goes when I am not their you know
I left a fiew times Before you went off
or Before you went home and what was
done nothing and that is the was still I
Stop this subject for the present and
try to write somthing Elce Earnheart is
a good hand that you know your
Self that is all on that Subject only
we have got our tools up and got to
work
[page 2]
Well uncle D the Reson why I write to you
is this I had Know chance to talk to you when
or Before you left and I thought I would writ
you a fiew lines so that I may hear from
you soon I was in a great notion of going
into the Regulars till I went to Camps and
herd the form of the furlow and I am
Know Regular yet nor never will take a
furlow upon thees grounds I dont think
a fifty dollar furlow is no indu cement
to me if I have to stay until my time is out
it will Be all Right with me I think if
nothing happens an I Can live till my
time is out and then I know that I
Can go and stay they are getting a good
many I Beleave I have understood they are
granting furlows for tenn out of Evry com
pany in the Vi a Regt and georgia Regiment
for tenn days that will Be a very short stay
the prospect is very good for us all to get
of that way I think we will all get to go
home in a shor time on a tenn days furlow
I herd they intended to let them off tenn at
a time till they all get home they have come
the Conclusion that not granting Eny furlows
is going to Be very mutch against them mak
ing up a nother army and I think they are
about half Right to But this I want you to
keep to your self for I want to see a Big
Releaf Come out when we all come off
let all men learn as we have and then they
will know this is the Best school that I
Ever went to in my life and I would
like to have as many Releafs as posible so
that they could all learn som[??]
[page 3]
I think I will try and stay on till my
Releaf is out and let some one come in
my place as it is a very Easy Job But
if I Can get a furlow soon I am going
home to see yous all But I want you to
Be sure and Bring me a skin of some sort
for an apron if I should not get to
go Before you leave to come Back my apron
and a gug of good Brandy and I will
give you the money for them I want you
to write to me Just as soon as you get theas fiew
lines and give me all the news of the coun
trey and let me know how you are getting
your self whether you have got well or
not if you see Kate giv her my very Best
Respects D. when you write give me
a full history of the times in and about
newton and tell Mrs Bost that I want
her to send me a mess of sossages If I
dont get their to Eat them before you
leave we will all get home Before long I
think on a furlow of tenn days and
if we dont thank god we onley have five
months to stay a fiew days over and that is
nothing I tell you we have seen the hard
part of our time over I think we have
a good Shop her and I intend to stay
her till the yankies comes if nothing happens
this is Sunday and I suppose you are in
Salsbury today bring sage and onions so
we Can make hash I Just want to
get Back once more I will have all thees
little tricks Before I leave their or Beg the
life out of all the oald weman that is my
[??????????]
[page 4]
Mrs A.A. Bost I must Drop you a
fiew lines to inform you that I am well at
present and hope when thees fiew lines comes
to hand they may find yous all injoying the same
Rich Blessing and I allso will inform you
that Mr Bost got home Before I did I Exspected
to go Rite off But the conditions did not soot
my tast at all and so I will try and stay
my time our and go without a fifty dollar
ferlow so that I Can stay till my time is out
to stay on Earth if I wish or come Back if
I Choose I want you to give Miss N.H. and
Miss Hariet G. my very Best Respects if you
pleas and tell them I Claim a Christmass
Gift off of Boath of them I Cant see them
my self But you must get it off of them
for me we have mooved twice the Black
Smith croud I mean we have mooved once
since Mr Bost left But we have got to a
placenow whare we will Be apt to stay
till spring and I hope we may for it is
a great deal of truble you must write to
me soon if Mr Bost dont and let know
how he is getting tell those girls I want
them to send me my Christmas if I
was Just their a while I Could get
Christmas Enough for a half dozen of
people But as it is I dont Exspect to have
much of a Christmas pleas give Evry
Body my Best Respects and write
Soon pleas Excuse Bad writing and awkward spelling
Your friend Cincearley
J. W. Gibson