Camp, Radferd, Montgomery Co. Va
Thursday Morning Jan the 12 /63
Dear Father
It is with pleasure
that I seat myself to drop you afew lines
to let you know that I am well with the exception
of cold we have vary comfortable quarters & plen[ty]
of bed clothing but we have knothing to eat
but bread & pickel beef & that the vary meanest
kind I want you to send me a box of provision
somthing that I can eat I have been about half
Sick just for the want of something to eat that is
good such as butter & appel butter or chickens or a ham
of meet you can send the chickens hold [1] clean them
& salt them I want some taller to greas my boots
& a cake of sope you will pleas get me apair of boots
& send them to me just as soon as you can for I am
pretnear bar footed, pa thay are more strict
on us than ever & I am getting tired of such stric[t]
orders if you can get me a subsitute get me
one & I will come home & work on the farm I think
you can get Tuck Shard I will give four hundred
Dollars & my mar saddel & bridel just to get out it
[page 2]
Attend to it & let me know as soon
as you can I can make it back in
six months if he is seventeen years old
I can put hm in during my inlistment
try & get one if posible & I can attend to
the affairs and the farm get one as low
as posble & I will pay him see him
& write to me as soon as you can
we will send Shaver home the last
of this weeak you can send
the box or provisions by him or
by express it will be sertain to come
if you send it by express
I will close hoping that you
will attend to those things
I remain as ever your son
A.J.Copenhaver
tell me something good to eat