Camp near Bealton Dec. 17th [1863]

Dear Friend H.
I take my
pen in hand after so long a time
to write you a fiew lines: since
I got your letter we have bin pretty
busy have bin acrost the Rapidann
and stoped in the wilderness a fiew
days and have returned to within two
or 3 miles of our old camp ground
on the north side of the Rappahamoc
we have bin on pickett two thirds of
the time for the last month as soon
as we got releaved at one place we
would go to another: we come off pickett
yesterday and ar making preperations to
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go into winter quarter. we ar not
doing much to day as we ar having
a cold rain storm: as we didnot
expect a storm lastnight we got
our things pretty wet and had to
pitch our tent over this morning
in the rain: and the rest of the
fornoon Soule has bin fixing his
pipe he broke his ring yesterday a
luging timber to fix the tents with
it is one that Nell let him have
we charged on an old house yesterday
and got about enough timber out
of it to fix our tent up in good
shape: Now what would you
think if a regt. should camp
in the field front of your house or
aney where around there to see them
charge on all the building that was
empty and if there was aney hay in
the Barn to have them take it and
then tear it down to fix up their
tents with we havent done quite as
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bad as that here becaus there
was’nt aney barns around here
but two or three houses that wer
standing yesterday morning ar laying
all over the camp this morning
and then two or 3 hundred rods of oak
fense has disappeared rather misteriously
since we come here and there is
a large oake woods close by
and by the sound aney one would
think the wer building a large
ship or two the raine doesent seame
to make much difference they will
work the trees must come down:
I expect as soon as we get fixed
up a little they will move us
some where else all is if they do
we will fix up again this is our
last winter so let them do as
they like I donot think they will
get me in for three years longer
I think three years will do me very
well I count on about 10 months longer
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I got a letter the other day from
Tim and Lewis and time Tim
wanted to know if I was courting
Hate Parker well now thats a pretty
question to ask a fellow isent it but
when he gives his reasons for wanting
to know it isent quite so bad for
he says if I am not he wantes to. so
yo can tell him to go ahed for you
know the younger must give way
to the oldest: Oh Hat that Pane that
is down to Roberts is rather catching
isent it it seames to affect the hearts
of the Sodom boys I havent heared what
the name of the Pane is but expect it
has a fine name would’nt a little
Wormwood do some of them good:
No Hat it would not Please me at all to
have you marray G. M. for he isent sich a
fellow as I would want a Sister of mine to
have and I want you to get just as good
a fellow as the I should if you wer my
Sister and an other thing I dont want
all the Sodom girls to marry befor I get
home if they do it wont seame like home
I should think I had got into the rong
place only think every house perhaps would
have one or two little brats creaping round
deliver me from all sich responsibilities
enough of this: Soule wants I should just
say that he is tough and Harty he saw
Gustave and Herb a short time since
they wer well: here I am at the bottom
of the sheat and my feat ar wet and
so cold that I cannot think of aney more
to write and will close. I have bin under
the impresion long back that I had answered
your letter but yesterday I was looking at my book
[continued in top left margin of page 1]
and couldnot find as I had answered
so I thought I’d write to day. write soon
and tell us all the news I
am going to send a little note
in this for father and if you
will send it to him it will
oblige me much as I am going
to have a box com out and forgot
some things that I want good
day from your friend
and well wisher
Alvin