FORT. RICE. NEAR [1]
PETERSBURG. VIRGIN
November the 26 1864 IA
Dear Father
I take the oppertunity to write to you
to let you know that I am in the land
of liveing as yet and hope these few lines
will find you all well and harty I
received your letter the 26 of November
and was Glad to here from you and to
here that you was all well I am very
sorrow to here that uncle Bill is so slim
I though that he had got better I was out
on picket one of my Company brough[t]
my letters out the number was five and
I was very glad to have them I had a pretty
Good time reading them I had one
from you one from Jennie one from
Westley one from Bill Pray and a half
of one from Joseph and that furlough
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well what kind of a thanksgiving
did you have down home we had a bully
one out here I tell you we had a half an
[??????]nnel of bisket a small peace of pie
four apples and two mouthfull of Chicken
to a man I tell you they like to killed
there self a eating fo the soilders thanksgiving
it was so harty well Father we have it
jest about the same here now as ever we
are a peltting a way at the Rebels day and
night all of the time and like to haft to
for some tim out I geuss there was a
lot of them Come in the other night
and give them self up four on our
post we have had two or three pretty
hard and rainy days and had a pretty
nice freshet but it has Cleard off again
and we are having petty nice wether now
Old [geaherlad?] Jordon felt pretty bad
did he not to to think that Satan
kingdom was a going to tumble down
poor man I pitty him but Cant help
him nor dont want two How dow John
[page 3]
Goodrich feel a bout the ellecttion
does he feel pretty bad a bout it or not
I hope he will get over it be four
long tell O Jennie that I have
got all the thing that she has sent
I geuss all but what I have sent
for now lately I sent for a pair of
stockings that I have not got yet
but I got the mitens and tobacco and
som stamps I got three stamps in
Westley letter to day and one in
Jennie well it is a bout time for
our releaf to Come they Come a bout five
O clock genaly and then we shall go
in to the Fort for two or three night
so I though that if I would write a
few lines tell Westley that I will write
to him soon I sent one to him th other
day I answer ever one I got tell
Herbert that I will be long pretty
soon for that sider only eight months
and a few give my love to all I know
so I will Close by bidding you good by
[page 4]
This is from yours
Truly James F. Goodwin
To James Goodwin