Union Mills Va
Jan 15th 1863
Dear Wife I thought
I would try and write a
few lines to you althoug
I have no news to write
but as I have been in the
habet of writing once a
week I think I shall
continue to do so I should
be glad to be at home
with you but I must
give up the thought of
home until my time of
enlistment is up I dont
want you to think that
the time drags heavily
along for that is not so
time never passed more
rapedly with me than
it does has since I left
home and if I continue
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to enjoy good health
and get home I think
I shall never regret comeing
down here although we
suffer with many priva-
tions and live like hogs
but if we have our health
we can put up with all
these things I should like
to have you see just how
we did live here I dont
Know which you would
do laugh or cry if I was
at home and see our dog
eat what we are forced
to eat sometimes I would
Kick him ass there is
still a considerable sickness
among us Frank Gadurel
has been sick sometime
with his old complaint
George Stockholm is quite
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sick
this morning the small
pox and mesels is still
hanging to us the typhoi[d]
fever is in camp we heard
all kind of rumours here
sometimes we are going to be
sent home and next we are
to be sent to Washington
and another time we are
going to North Carolina
we have got so we dont
put no confidence in what
we hear I think we shall
stay until spring the officers
are all the time fixing up
for there convenience we
have very fine wether here
over head but not quite
so nice under foot it is
cold and freezeing nights
but warm enough in the
day time to thaw up and
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makes it very mudy I
like the climet first rate
the country here is very
uneven more so than it
is at home and looks to be
very poor as a general thing
I have not seen a church
nor a school house since
I have been here there
is occasionally a farm
house and a family left
who pretends to be friendly
to the union but I believe
they are at heart as great
traiters as lives they are
constantly prying around
to see if they cant find
out something our pickets
bring in some of them evry few
days but they will swear
they are unionists and they
are let go Lyman Beebe
to P.L. Beebe