Camp Barry. Jan 15th /63 [1864]
Dear Mother Smith
I recieved your kind letter
yesterday date Jan 10th was
glad to here from my old
friends and from home
I am well and engoying a
soldiers life it is cold weather
out here now we had a foot
of snow about a week ago
it has snowed more here
this winter then it has for
sevrel it thawed the other
day and it is verry icey
here now if I had my skate
here I coud skate to the
barn evry morning
we have been looking for
our pay for serme time
it hasent come yet some
[page 2]
say that we wont get
any till march if not we
shall get more when we
do get it our quarters
is verry comfertable now
evry thing is quite diffrent
then in the tents we have
our meals on a table some
of us dident hardly know
how to behave but I guess
we aint to old to lern
this snow has given us a
little rest we havent
hilshed up for over a week
but then I supose it all
helps to put down the
rebeion we have had fifteen
recruits come thay look
rather blew when the boys
tell them that thay are in
for three years unles sooner
discharge by a bullet
[page 3]
for my part I cant see three
yers more not yet one three
is enough at a time some of
the boys is geting furloses for ten
days I should like the furlow and
like to go home but I would not
like to come back when I go I
want to stay it is pretty hard
for a unmaried purson to get
a furlow those of famlies come
first on the list. and you know
it will be some time be fore I
have a verry larg famley
the patomac river is frosen
so hard that one can skate on it
with safety. it is a good time for
deserters to get away from
the other side of the river.
those that wants to desert can go in
but I never inlisted for that
I would rather die a soldier then
to live a deserter
[page 4]
but I must soon stop my
sillyness the bugle will soon
blow and I must be on hand
I dont want to brague of my
good qualitys but there is onley
two of ws in the Battrey that
can say we were never punished
in any way yet if a person
does right there is no need of
punishment if he does wrong
he will get it for the offasers
are round as often as once a week
tell M.A. that I should like
to red read an other of her letters
soon and the more from you
and Father the better far it puts
a few life in me for I know
there is better days comming
Give my love to Elize and Jul
and all the rest

In hast from John
Good by all