Camp Near Drewriews Bluff
Dec the 29 1862
Peters Burg va
Dear Cousin
I This day Take my pen in hand To inform you
That I am well and injoying good health hoping
That Theas few lines may find you and all of the
Family well I am getting a long finely at This Time
We have moved in our quarters and well Prepard
for the winter and I hope we shal stay in them the
Remainder of the winter o cosin I have spent one more
Crismas and the dulist I ever saw in my life I only Taken
Three drinks and I pade $1 50cts for them I daced [1] three sets
So keepe in Practis for I Think I shal com home Before long
And enjoy my self with you all again But I no you have
no ide how Bad I want to se you all I would give enny thing
in This world if I could only Behold your swete countinance
Again But I am a fraid it will Be a long time first But
I Think I shal com a gain I have understood that georg
Taylor has gon to the yankees and I am awfully sorry for him
To Think he did not Think (he did not Think) no more of
Him self Than That gon againts his one dear Brothers when
[page 2]
They are fighting for the rights of there contry Now he never
Will Belovd to com to his native county no more
For there is no more chance for The yankees to whip us
Than for the sun to rise in the west and set in the east
O cousin I will tell you a little a Bout the fun we had
Last night Me and John Mitchell Tride our forchin
With egg and salt and I dream of one of the sweetest
Little things you ever saw in your lif I have Ben tasting
Of her all day and I no I shal com and se her again I
Have got fifteen little duncies [2] hear But nun so swete
As she was I have got six ingaged to me now and ex
Pect to have six more Before the war ends I wish I could
se you to tell you how coning I talk to them they thout
I was a saint I told them som sweete lies and they
Believed it all for they Believed it all love a
North Carolinian I will tell you how I talk around them
I got a letter from home stating that five of my negros
had runaway and ten of Pappies [3] But I wold sey
I recond he did not mind it for he had a plenty more
Left and there they would lean to me like a sore eyd kitten
[page 3]
To a Basin of milk I am as Bad a boy as I ever was
And as coning as afore I no you dont no how good I
Love you I love you as good as a little Pig for you are so
sweete Tell uncle starky god Bless his sole how
Bad I want to him for I no he is Purty tolerble ugly
But I love him mity good tell ant Polly I no how
she looks Purty old and tuff But I love her to
I look prety tuff my self and right Badly
Weather Beating But you tell them I have Ben
Living on half Racherns of steer untwel I am as
fat as you no what for I way 1.75 lbs give my love
to all of the family and to all of the neighbors
And be sure to keep to thirds for your self
cosin Winny I herd a man say he was coming to se
you Without shap sickness or sudden death or a furnel
In hell and you may Be sure hel will com But
I dont like him and you shal not have him I reccon
I must stop my foolishness and right you a little
something sweete o Thare is a Power to make each our [4]
As sweete as heven desines it
for need we roam to Bring it home
Though few theer be that find it
The seeke too high for thing Close By
And loos what nature found us
For life hath hear no charmes so dear
As home and friends a round us
[page 3]
My Mothers vois how oftin creeps
it cadance on my lonely hours
like healling on the whings of sleepe
or dew on the uncoutious flowers
I might forget her melting prayrs
Whles wildering leisure madly fly
But in the still unbroken air
The gentle tone comes stealing By
And cars of sin and madhood flee
And leave me at my Mothers knees
Yours truly from a dear

Abstant cosin
Right soon and let me hear from
You all Joseph .J. Cowand
Joseph J Cowand

T Cosin Winaford A Cowand
Winaford A Cowand