Monday Dec the 22nd 1862

Dear Cousin I received
your kind letter sometimes since
and was glad to hear from you
that you were all well
you must excuse my delay in
the reason of it is I had write to
you just the day before
Well we are all injoying tolerable
good health at preasent and I hope
by the time this comes to hand
it will find you injoying the same
great blessing. well it maybe called a
great blessing for it shurly is one of
the greatest of blessings that the
human family can injoy
We still are at work on the for
tifycation we have got one finished
and we will get the other raised
today I am not working this
fournoon I was on gaurdduty at
night and therefour I get clear till
noon but I will have to go to it [1]
as soon as I get my diner
I am cooking this month Well
[page 2]
Cleaments and I we commenced
yesterday morning
Well about going home you need
not look for us for I think
that is about played out with
us the captain is going home
next wednesday but I dont think
that any of us will get to go all tho
ugh he promised us iff there would
be any possible chance that we might
go but now he is taking some
of the Ft recovery boys with him
well I hope for the best
Tell our father that we are very
thankful to them for writing
so often tell them iff there paper
is so scarce that I will send them
some I write about five letters
a week they cant write one
Tell Sam P that I will answer
his letter when I get it I have
not gotten a letter from there
in a month and only one from
home. iff it were not for you
and Ann Armstrong I would
not get any letters at all
Iin your last letter you spoke of
[page 3]
hearing that we had left here
well it is not so but I wish it
was so fo I am tiered of
laying idle you spoke of us all
being taking prisoners well that
is not so but I dont know how
soon it will be so for I understand
that there is eight hundred rebels
within thirteen miles of us
I understand that the inhabitants
are fleeing from Lexington and Paris
but let them come and I will bet
that we will give them a warm
reseption I think iff they do come
that we will give them the best
turn that’s in the shop
I will have to come to a close
for it is now about time to go
to getting dinner Please excuse
bad writing for as Francis Burton
says my pen has got its hip out
of thy tell John that we will
wait most patiently for a letter
from him Tell your Father
that I would like to hear from
him once more hoping to hear
from you soon I bid you good bye
[page 4]
Please write soon and give all
the particulars yours as ever

Henry To

Mary J Johnston