[1] febuary 8th 1863
Dear sister and brother
according to promis I take
this opportuneity of write
ing you a fiew Lines to
[2] [??] you hear from me I am
[???] at the preasant time
[hopin?]g these fiew Lines may
[fi?]nd you an famely in
[j?]oying the same blessing sister
when I fot back to my Com
pany they had move from
ashland to the deeprun coal
pits an we have had the
worst time that we ever had
yet has bin snowing or rain
ing every too or three Days
sence we have bin hear an
we have bin out in pretny [3]
evry bit of it hallining [4] of ]
foode an as the worst roads
know I ever saw, I will
teel you something about
what a nice time I had Last
[page 2]
Su[n]day I went to miss Mary Rilley
marriage an the was great
meney pretty girls there an
I injoyed my self finely you may be
Shore of that but orn my
return I bad Luck my [????] [5]
fell down with me [???]
I was the sowest man [that?]
ever you saw for about the [???]
Day Jane you must write
me word whether puss an [???]
going to Live at mama or
know an be shore to write
you was sent down as
concrips this time your neighbor
hood you must write soon
you mus back your
letters to Glennallen Henrico
Glennallen post Henrico
County Va
John C Collins
this paper beets the dod