December the 21 sth 1863
Dear wife I once more take my pen
in hand to inform you that I am well
at this time and hoping these few lines
may find you all well and harty and a plenty
to eat I recieved your letter dated December the
[text unreadable at fold in page]
pleased with your riting I think Mary Jane
has ben mity Smarte to lern her book and I hope
my tother two little ones will be the same way
when they get big a nuff to go to scool and I
recieved a letter from you dated December the 13
and was glad to here that you wer all well and
I wish I could here my boy call hogs and here
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the Sweat time with my babes I rote you one
letter since the fite but I Spose you had
not got it the 13 of the months I rote in that
I thought Cox wod go home this winter but
he hant ben Seen Sence the fight ef you See
eney of Mr Coxes folks you can tell them
he was in the fite and he was kiled or taken
[page 2]
prisener he heant ben Seen nor hern fr
om Sence we are at the Same camp where we
wer where I rote to you we have got Splended
Shantes now I cant hardley tell when day
comes onely by the drum but I am afrade we
will have to moove a gin I here Some talk
of mooving nerer the railrode and I herd
Rodes division moved yesterday I Should be
glad to get nere the railrode but I hate to bild
a gin this winter I had like to forgot to tell you
I was mite glad to git them Stamps they come in
a good time I was out and had bored 1 and could
not find nun to by we have vary cold weather
here now we wer on picket post latly and we
have Jest got back and I think I Shal get a
blanket in a day or two now the wagens is gon
after them an Some cloes and shoes it is geting
nere crisamas and I wish I could be at home
and get a big potatoe and a dram nothing
more at presant onely my best wishes to you
all Neill Mcleod to Elisabeth McLeod