Falmouth April 3th /63
Dear Sister
I take this oppertunity of informing
you that I received your kinde letter this
morning and was glad to hear that you was
well and had gone In to Buisness yourself
and I hope you donte come out like
Burnsides stuck in the mud for I would
not like to see it if I hade any thing I would
sende it to you to help you along. And so
I got a letter from Sister Anna and home
and they say that pap has bin sick but
I am glade to hear that he is getting better
Well I am a little better than I was I donte have
to trote out so mutch but I have got more
paine With it and so weeke by taken so
mutch Quinine that I[t] has pule me down a
good bit fore when I was taken sick I whaide 180 lbs.
But I donte pull down 145 lb any more so that is
fetching the meate off a body mity sharpe I think
I have not done any duty since way in Feberary
and I donte think I will be abel to do anything
fore a mounth If I donte get better faster than
I am a doing fore the wether is so bad down hear
fore one day it is snowing and the nex day raine
and to day it is the nises day that we have had
fore a long time but I think it will raine befor
sun down yet. So Molly my Furlow is plady
out now the (dam) Old Genl Couch had to stope
it the very day that I was to get it if I hade
my will I would set him up I[n] the Boot
Buisness ore somthing else I will Bet you
[Page 2 ?]
Well Molley there is nothing new down hear as
I can see Old Joe Hoocker is up in his Blbome [1]
every day to see wether the Jonney Rebels are
leveing are not but they donte trubel us [ore?]
a tall we can see them every day on Picket
all that there is between us is the River and
we talke to them and to the Girles to they
have got little Ships and we send the Backe-
wardes and fowards and we traide Coffee fore their
Tobacco for it is mitey dear down hear
wat Frank gives 25cts fore we have to give a
Doller fore it and I tell it is a big thing
spachell when a body has not got any money
to by it from the setler [2] fore he wonte trust
and he is a darne cheete any how so I donte by any
thing off of him any how Well some of the boys
was a cross the river the other night to a Dance
fore a houre or so and they like the Irish Brigade
firststrate they always like us to be on Picket
together fore they have the moste fun with them
they can tell when we come on Poste they will
hollow at us and then you see muskets stuck
in the ground at their they will stay till
we are relived and the ship Buisness comen[c?]
and writting letters a cross to them and they will tell
ys their names so I have got a name sake
over ther so the boys has a good time of it
on my poste fore they now I will get some
Tobacco fore them. Well it is time I was
stope writting fore my hands is stife and
to tirde that I cant write mutch more
to you I wrote home yesterday to pap and
Mother I have not wrote to Brother Frank yet