Norfolk Va January 28th [1864]

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I seat my self
to try and write a few
lines to let you know that
I am well and enjoying
myself as well as ever
I received a letter from
father to day and was glad
to hear that Chauncey was
well and having a good
visit I would like to
ben with him but I can
not so thare is no use
in wishing for what
we cannot have we was
paid thursday but I shall
not send enny money home
this time for we are in
a place whare we nead
a great deal of money
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thare is evry thing heare
to get a fellows money
from him but I mean to be
as careful of mine as I
can and to make it last
a good while evry thing
costs so mutch that our
money will not go but
a little wase they ask
twenty five and thirty cents
for a common bowl of
oysters and evry thing
else acordingly the
men are reinlisting
pretty fast thare is over
a hundred to go home
in a few days we had
nine recruits come to
our company the other
day thar was one by the
name of brewer that
used to work for [sard?]
[page 3]
and his two brothers they
are from granvill and
one by the name of pealer
that was in the forty-
-sixth thay are all great
stout healthy looking
men thare is one man
that inlisted here
in our company that
has ben in the navy for
fifteen years he enlisted
here in norfolk. we are
having some warm weather
now it is so warm that
we hav to sit in the
house with our coats
of to feel comfitabl
it seems like summer
the citisans say that
they never saw it so
warm at this time of
the year I do not know
[page 4]
as you can read this
for I am in a hurry I
have got to go on
guard in a few moments
you must not blame
me for not writing oftner
fro I do not get a chance
the duty is not very
hard but it keeps us
bussy the most of the
time it is worse than
it was be fore the
vetrans went home
you said somthing about
sending a box I will
look out for it and not
let the things spoil

Alfred