Newport News via dec
the 18th [1863]
Dear wife i will Pen you a few Lines
to Let you know that i am well
and hope that you are the Same i Shall
Excpt a Letter from you to day i got yours
of the 6th the Stamps Came all Right
i was verry glad to get them i
think that you have got a good house
and Cheap Rent and i know it
must Be Pleasant well i may Be
at home Before Long then i Can tell
how i Like the home when i Come
it will Be Sudden i Suppose that
the fine wether wont Last much
Longer at home i Should Like to
Be at home by Christmass well
i hope that i Shall get a Letter to
day i am glad that Frank is Pleased
with his Place But did he give his
Father and mother anny of the
[Page 2]
Bounty he ought to do it yes a good
manny have enlistted But they Cant
enlist in no other Regt unles they
are discharged it is a good Bounty that
they get almost enough to By a Farm
i will Stop writeing till after dinner
to See if i get a Letter no Letter well
i hardly know what to write about
it is awfull dull out here there will
Be nothing done till next Spring now
the Army of the Potomac has gone
into winter quarters John Parsons got
Back yesterday he had to go to
washington jim davenport is in
the Convalcent Camp he is
to hav a Commission Parsons Says
he thinks that he will Reenlist
i think that they will have to Draft the
men dont volunter much i thank
Sis Drake for the needle Book i
hope i Shall get it we Shall
have a Large niger Army in feild
[Page 3]
By Spring the goverment intends to
have a Regular Army of Blacks
well that is the Best Place for them
they will make good Soldiers enough
and there is a Plenty of them in
the South we are having fine
wether here now a Little Cool
in the moring and night i hope
you will have a mild winter
at home it will Be So much the
Better i think that this Rebellion
will Be Played out next Summer
this winter will Be a hard
one for the Rebels although Jeff
Davis trys to keep up his Pluck
and Lie to the Soldiers i Read
his message in the washington
Papers he Calls us all kinnds of
names But it is all very
fine Mr Jeff Davis you Cant
keep a hotel i Like President
Lincoln message i glory in
[Page 4]
his Spunk well i must
close give my Love to
all the folks kiss the
Children for me
from your Husband
Joseph Barlow