Camp Mcclellan Feb 4th 1863
Dear Father I sit down to write
you a few lines to let you now
that I am pretty well altho I have
had a bad cold and a dieree [1] took some
medison of the doctor which helped
me and am geting better I havent
recieved any letter from home for
eight days on account of the mail
not being regulated yet the Capting
went to town and got back yester
day he says now we shall get the
mail reguler now it has been verry
cold here for some days three days
ago the snow was about one foot
six inches on a level most of the
snow has gon and it is verry near
as cold as i have seen it at home
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we have lots of wood and we aint a
fraid to use it nether we kepe
a good fire all night and the colder
it is the better i sleep but the cold
wether cant last long down in the
sunny south we had a general
in spection by Staten [2] and his
brigade last saturday he had about
twenty body gards with him all
mounted with sabers and carbines
we dont drill any now we had about
forty recruits come two weeks ago
and haint got more then ten of them
left thay enlist to runnaway and
do it to but I enlisted honest
and mean to serve honest whil I can
it is all for the union you know
when I get home again I will make
it all up again it is hard to here
some of the old men talk that live
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out here about the way that our
armey used there property at the
time of bullrun thay dug all
there potatoes out of the grown
pulled up there turnips and cabbage
destroid and tore up the fences
and left rich men poore and
a good meny of them left and
went on the rebel side out here
our commanders will put a gard
over a rebels property and a good
old honest union man thay will
let his property go to waste I have
often thought when I see the boys
in the woods cutting down any
thing and evry thing what a pitty
it is to see property destroyed so
the other day when we was down in
the woods building a barn the
man come down that oned the
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wood and looked around went
off crying thay are a fraid to
say any thing but it is hard
have you had much snow at home
this winter is the times good
and is Wm doing much buisness
how much longer does sissys
school keep tell her she must
write for she tells me all the news
I was much pleased with the few
lines that mother wrote she allways
took intrest in my well fair
and gave me a good advise I am
glad to know that you all think
of me and be ashured I think
of you should like to write
more but havent [room?]
Give my love to all the folks
Yours truely
John. P. Campbell