Camp W. N. Edward
February the 6 1862
Dear Father I this morning
Seat my Self to drop you a line
in answer to yours of January the 10 , 1862
it came safe to hand and was red with the gratest
degree of pleasure in which I was glad to hear
that you was all well those lines found
me as well as usual I was varry proud
of the presants you sent mee it came
in good time things is varry high at
manassas Socks is worth 50 to 75 cts pur pair
and other things in porpotion I hope
you will not think hard of mee for not writting
to you I was detailed on a 8 days scot and left
camp the varry day your letter came I seede a fine
time wee Just hunted whiskey and it out
to keep the soldiers from getting it I just
got what I could drink and a canteen full
to bring in to camps and I can tell
you it reigns ever day or snows hear and is
the muddiest plase you ever seede and the worst
water to use I ever seede allthough wee ar willin
to stay till the war ends wee ar like the little
Bull at the fodder stack wee say dam them that
[??]cks [??] wee ar not uneasy I think their is
the best hops of peace has ever bin [1]
Col Ransome [2] is looking all the time for
an order to give us all furlous the helth of our
Reg is varry bad wee think their is some hops of them
getting better since dr hillard [3] came home
wee lost one man while he was gon to
Ashville he was a good soldier and A good Boy he
[page 2]
was a Boy from Rims Creek buncomb N.C
allthough their is a good eal of sickness yet
wee will get our 2 months weges in a day
or 2 and their is nearly 6 monts dew
us when wee ar in the survis 12 months
wee will get 50 dollars bounty and I
will send that all home I would [???]
you to tell all the Boys and espashely the Gals
that I will bee able to Come home in
a varry short time if nothing happons more
than I Know of tell mart. I was varry
glad to get the Gloves he sent to mee
though they was rether small I think I hav Got
fat since I hav bin in the war Paw pleas
have Vandovar to make mee a good pare
of boots no 8 and send them the 1st one
is a passing and I will send you the
money when I get it Jackson stapp sends
his best Respects and he wants you to tell
grandady and Grany howdy for mee and all
the rest of his friends he says to tell you
wee dont fear th d d yankees one bit
mee and Stepp has got 7 blankets and one
old wagon sheet and wee hav fared varry well
this witer Stepp says he has som hops of getting
to come home and hee says he will come up
Jesse Case [4] say tell his friends that he is in
the land of the living and would like to bee
at one more infare and espeshly a frolic
So you will pleas writ soon no more
at this time only Remains your

opediant Son J. A. Shipman