Head Quarters Near Turkey Run Nov 7th/63

Dear Father & Mother & Sisters

I take this oppertunity
of answern your letter I just received
this eveing and was glad to hear
from you that you ware all well
a presant and I am in joying
very good health at this time
as long as we are staying hear
we have a Barne to stay in now
and we have Bunks fixed up
in it and it makes it very
good for us and it keep us Dry
and off the ground and I tele
you it is bunkum my pardner
and me was waken out the other
Day and we seen a chicken and
we thought it would bite us
so we had to twist the neck
[Page 2]
for him he hollow at us and
that would not do so we pickes
him and put him in a pot and
had two good meals off of him
for he must bin the first one
that Noah Drove in the arke
in the year of one he had spures
on a inche and half long it put me
minde of Mosbey the Griller [1] so
yesterday we seen a nother one
runing a round luse so we ware
a freaid it would bite us so
we maide away with him the
same way but it turne out better
it was young So I think I
have tolde you a nuf about the
chicken this time but they
must not run around louse
ware we are for we will surve
them the same way. Their
has bin nothing new going
on since I wrote to you before
[Page 3]
but the Reserve Artillery has come
up and gone to Bellplaines and
I espect that we will be on the
march again in a day or so their
is some talke of us going to morrow
or the nex day they way that
we are going to our old plaic
a gain that is Falmouth so
the nex letter that I will
write to you will be from
their or Fredricksburg So
good by this time so my
love to you all and give my
love to Mrs Apple and all
the Famley and to Anty &
Beckey Joyce and to Turser
Snare [2] and give Molley my bes
recpects and I wish her much
joy and her man all so
I think the young men had
better stop getting marrid till
after the Draf is over for
[Page 4]
meby some of them will have to
come out in the field to Battle
with the Jonney Rebs yet and
then they will have to leave their
sweet turtel Doves an they will
not like it much then for when
they get out hear they wonte have
their sweet ones to go home to
when they are done worke at night
to play with and to comb heir
Head and make them look slick
when they take a promnade with
on saterday evenings and Sundays
to the woods in the afternoons
For Molley Snare said that she was
going to be a Old made but that is
plaid out now So good by
to you all my love to all
of you
From yous
Son Wm A Smith
write Soon