Camp near Neck Virginia Feb 13th 1863
Dear Martha I write you a few lines informing you that
I received your very kind letter yesterday evening
and was very glad indeed to hear from you and to hear
that you were well but was very Sorry to hear that youre
Father was yet sick and did not appear to get any better
my health is no better I have been sick all the time
Since I have been in Camp and I have not been well
enough to do any duty Since I have been here. Captain
Armstrong has gone to North Carolina and will not be
back again before the first of March he told me when he
left that when he came back to Camp that he would
send me before the Board of Doctors to be examined and
to see if they would not give me a discharge. I long to see
the time come for my health is so bad and it is so cold
here that I am perfectly miserable and I am doing my
Country no good and Myself a great harm dear Martha
I have no news of any importance to write you at this time
We expect to have a fight here as soon as the weather gets
dry enough for the Yankees to have their Artillery across the River
We are well prepared to meet them and our men will be
certain of another Victory whenever the Battle is fought You
wanted to know in your letter if they punished me in any
way after I came here They did not punish me in any way
and all the men are very kind to me I was very glad to hear
of Elizabeth Catharine Howards marriage tell her I wish her
much Joy tell her I think there is no danger of any of the girls
becoming old maids Since She was so fortunate to get Married
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I want you to try to send me a pair of gloves by Captain
Armstrong when he comes back you Can leave the gloves with
Richard Savage at Burgaw Depot and he can send them by the
captain Dear Martha I will send you some money as soon
as I can draw some unless I get a discharge if I get one I can
hope that I will have the pleasure of bringing it to you
I expect we will draw money some time in March. When
Captain Armstrong comes back I will try to make arrangements
for you to draw Something from the County Dear Martha I would
like to be with you to day so that you might cook me Something
that I could eat we have very little to cook here and that little
is very badly cooked. I Will come to a close by saying to you
that I wrote you a letter some time ago and I hope you have got
it before now. I want you to tell your Father that I am very
sorry to hear of his being so Sick and I would give anything
in this World if I could see him it would give me great
satisfaction if it did not do him any good give my love
to Your to Youre sister and tell her I think of her very
often and want to see her very bad and give my love to all
the family as well as my own Relatives and friends
reserving a goodly portion for yourself I want you to write
to me as Soon as you can after you get this letter So farewell
for this time I Remain your affectionate Husband
John Futch
to Martha Futch