Jan,, the 21 ,, 1864
Dear Wife ,, By the mercy
of god I Still live and
in fine helth for those Bles
I am truly thankful and I hop
those fu lines may find you and
and famly enjoying the Same Bless
of a kind father all is quiet here
wee expected a bumbardment for
the 3 last days but the yanks dident under
take it as for my part I dident
Care I am esy anaway I dont fell
affrraid this morning is clear and
warm Well Mag I want you to Send
me a Box by John Ford I told him
to tel you when he wold Start
back So you cold no when to Send
it to Haris Burg Well mag this
is a lousey place there is 3 or 4
men Siting around me now with
thare Shirts off looking for confe[???] [1]
mag Send me a Box of pills or 2
and Sum tobaco and a ham of meet
my clos is all good yet but my jacket
[page 2]
our mes is all well at present
except Bad colds Standing out
in the rain and win day and knigh
is a nuf to kill a mule
and not half fed at that
a litle Spung bred and a quarter
of a pound of Stinkin meet
a day about a nuf of bread for
one mele but I think it is
as good as wee deserve wee ot to
be thankful for that and
not complain it is all for
the best,, if I keep my helth
I Can git a long there is no
chance of bying any thing to
eat here when wee ware at
Wilmington wee cold by Sumtn
to eat,, I dont know wether
wee will Stay here or no there is
talk of us going to fort camel
a bout half a mile from this
Nuth more Mag I Remain
yours til Death R, C, C M, J, C.
[page 3]
Mag write R, C,C, all the Nuse
of the Neighborhood in genarl
tel me no how Mcgins is giting
along and Jim McClelan and
all the folks tel mam hody
for me and all the rest of the
famles i cant write to al
of them I hant got time
tel them to write to me
tel pugey to lay heer old pipe
doun and Write, R,C,C a fu lin
I want to no if you got your Shous
for frwinter Mag and
ho made them and what tha
cost an how your lether hell
out and how much you got
I want you to wach your corn
and wheat good,, keep it locked
and See it is dun dont let yes
man lock it if you dont watch
cloce Save your corn and wheat
and take care of your pigs and
cows and So one <??>
[page 4]
Mag the last leter I got from
you was dated the 12 I wold
like to get one a week I wood lik
if you cod Send me a botle of lases [2]
and Sum ink nale up your Box
tite nale a hoop round the ends
Start hen to plowing as Soon as the
ground is dry a nuf with both horse
to a plow bedup the ground hen
knows how plow out close to
the fence I want the fence
fixt,, I dont want any one to git
on the colts Back tel hen to
keep of it turn it out in the
feild evry chance dont keep
it in the Stable more than
you can help dont give peet
So much corn that is one thing
Als this eyes give him Salt peter
and Sulfer and dont let hen
ride him hard nor fite him
or pony git Alf to Notice
hen as he pases or John cald
<?> tel John to talk to hen a bout
it