the
Fort keye april 26 1863
Ever Dear Mary I will try and
write a few short lines to you I
can not pen it as I should like but
will have to let it go for what it
worth I do not profess to be a good
letter writer and never expect to be
I can think of enough but to git it
in good still is oute of the question
you must look over all mistakes
I will try and rectify them all when
I git home if nothing hapens I will
not have more then one or two dosen
to write we can count weeks in stead
of months before long if one was at
home the time would be short it
will seem long enough heare
time passes pleasant but we count
it often for the reason we would
like to see those dear ones at home
we long to see the day when we start
for home
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yours of the 20 arrived safely heare
last evning and was gladly received
and read with pleasure saturday
or sunday most all ways brings a
letter from you it is a grate privelage
to write to one an other it would
be hard if we had not the privelage
my health is good may this find
you all the same health is most
evry thing espeshily heare I have
not had to take any medison yet
and hope I shal not the most
they have is calomel and quinine
it is hard stuff to take some have
took a good deal of it we are having
a verry cold backward spring heare
the in habitence say they never saw it
so cold and backward heare I have
seen it as farward at home they
will not rase much heare this
year they could not if they wanted
to it is past corn plantin time heare
I do not care if they do not rase any
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it does not take much to make
abig story if evry thing that is printed
is stretched like the fight at Williamsburg
we did not have any thing to do
with it we would like to had a hand
in it we ware ready for it I think
the 169 would do some good fighting
they cannot take only 3 companys oute
of the fort at one time I think the
south will have to give up before long
or at least I hope so I would like
to see it soon you wanted to know
if I had payed Mr Rouse I have not and
did not intend to till he made that
pounding barel if father has payed him
he must make that barel or I will
have to give him a small talking to
I do not care aboute the pay done him
for the barel evry time you see him
if you can pay Mr Nichols with
oute gitting the draft broak you had
better do it do not pay any shave on
it it is good with out it
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if it was not for news papers
a fellow would be hard up for
news it is aboute the same thing
over and over again heare if we
ware on a march we would
have more to write aboute we have
plenty to eat such as it is we git
tired of it bread and coffey is the
most of my living I have got perfectly
sick of rice and beans we have plenty
of porke and beef some potatoes if it
was half cooked it would be better
we do not have the conveniences of cooking
we have good bread baked evry day
one lofe will make 3 meels good we
do not eat as much as we did
most of the boys live well as long as
they have any money left sutler
buiseness is the best trade in the army
they ask 2 and 3 prices for most evry
thing that dose not make any diference with
some it dose with me Lyman