Camps Near Ruselville Tenn
January 10th 1864
Dear ma
Itis with great Pleasure that
Itake my pen in hand this
Evening for the purpose of
writing to you to let you no
that I am not Dead yet I Expect
you think I am but I will tell
you why I did not write to
you while I was at the Hospital
it is amity pour Excuse but
it is bettr than non I hated
to head my letter genl Hospi[?]
So you must not think hard
of me for not writing to
you at the Hospital I did my
best to get home but the
Doctors would not let me
Go an So I came back to
my Regt it has bin Some
time Since you rote me
aletter
[page 2]
I have bin verry oneasy about
you I tell you the truth I have
not Recived but one letter
from you Since I left Home
it is true that we air in
amity bad place to Send or
to get mail Our mailcarrier
has to 86 miles after the mail
and you no that he cant go
that distance and back in
aday or too it takes tow or three
weeks to go and come I have
nothing worth writing to you
at this time I am in hops that
this will find you and the
children in fine Health
this leaves me and brother in
verry good health at this
time but my Head is not
well yet it hurts me pirty
bad some times I Supose that
you had herd of my being
[page 3]
wounded before now thair
was three of my company
wounded in that fight at
Knoxville well ma
I am Sorry to
Say to you that thair aint but
Seventeen 17 of my company
bare footed at this time I am
and the Snow is on the
ground now and it is the
Coaldest wether that I Ever
Saw in my life I will
have to Close for it is
Supper time give the
Children my love and
Recive alarge Portion
for youre Self Dirct
youre letter to Russelville
Tenn
I remain yourse Truly
J. A. Everett