Armey of th Rhapahanoc Camp
Greg Va Feb 27th 1863
Dear Wife
it is with pleasure
this morning that I drop you
a few lines to let you know
that I am well at presant
and I hope these few lines
may find you and Senuth [1]
L. J. well and all the rest
Wife I reseved you welcom letters
one by the hand of L. W. Marson
two by male I was glad to hear
from you and to hear that you
was well but I was sory to hear
that the small pox was raging
up thare Nancy I hope you will
be cearful and not go in reach
of them tha are a dangers complaint
dont go a near them now wheir
if Lodemay was to get them I know
tha wod kill heir tell Father
to not let Frankling and John
nor non of the rest go a near them
fur tha are easy Caut and dangerous
ten men took them in the 34 Reg
and nine of them died try to shun
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them if you can and if tha com
to you you cant help it but
you can all help going to where
they are Nancy L W Marson and Henrey
Lackey got back last knight tha did
not fetch eney Boxes with them
but tha left them in cear of
D.C. Norton I hope tha will come
yet if tha do I will be vary
glad I am hungry fur somthing
from home I woush I was thar
to take dinner with you to day
but I fear it will be a long time
yet before I get thare two of our
men had thar fur lowes wrote
out and sent up to day and
if I had of got got justis I would
have one but we dont get that
here in sted of giving the furlows
to the men that is dew furlowes
tha give the men that come and
joined the companey long after
I was at home last this is not
write he did not deserve a furlow
yet he is not a maried man and
here is two of us Maried men
and three men that is not Maried that has
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bin from home the longest George Flowers
he has not don his duty he aught to
have given the rest of us furlows
and let him a wated untill his turn
come Dear Nancy live in hopes of
seeing me some day this war will
not last allways we will some
day or nother come out from under
bondage if George Flowers [2] had of
don his duty J. S. Bradshaw
would have got a discharge but
he would not turn his han over
two warden it this is the reason
John did not get a fur low a
discharge but we dont aske
him eny odds we are a bel to
bare all he can poot on us he
poot John in the garde house
and left others out that
was to blame worse than John
this is the way he dose buisness
but he can just rip we dont
aske him eny boot so dont
be oneasy a bout us John is
well and harty the rest of the
boyes are all well dont show
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this letter to every boddy I just
wrote it to let you know how
we are getting a long here we are
getting a long vary well we have
no quarles nor fusses worth noticen
in the companey we hold prayr
meetings in the companey a cashenly
and are doing well considern our
small rashings we dont get a
nuff to eat but I hope times
will get better and I hope to
get a furlow when the ware
ends Dear Wife give my love
to all of my friends I am a
better man now tha I ever
was be fore I will way more
now than I ever did I dreame of
you every kight or two and
of my little girl tell John
and Frank howdy fur me tell them
to not hug the Gerles to hard
tell little Josiah howdy fur me
tell him that I would be glad to
see him so der wife fare well
here is a ring I ett the meet off
the bone and made a ring of it poot it
on your finger J. N. Bradshaw