Wensday Feb the 4 /63
Dear Charlotte
I once more seit myself to write a fiew lines to you in answer to your kind letter which I just received. I found it dated the 25 of Jan. It found me well and it done me a good deal of good to hear from you and to hear that you was all well and that little Matie was getting well. I sent two letters last weak. I sent one last Friday with a fifteen dollor check and $5 in money. I am verry anxious to hear weather you got it or not but I guess you will get it this weak. I went on picet Sadurday and staid until yesterday. We went three miles from camp on the railroad to ceepe it from being torne up. They ceepe a strong picet force all the way from here to the front army. I told you in my first letter that I wrote after we got here that is was 11 miles from here to Fredricksburg. They sead it was but it is 16 miles. I see James Brown yesterday. He was here to the landing. He is sergent of the provost guard. They have to see that all express goods are taken to the corps. He has got in a good place. His regt lais 15 miles from here. They have got to come to the landing every time there is eney box or eney express goods comes for their corps. James Brown thinks there will be some settlement between this and the first of May. He seas this war cant go on mouch longer but I think it will take a year to settle. I dont think there will be eney fighting done after the first of May. I see George Pier the other day. He came here. He sead you and he were cousins. He maired Sarah An Truax. He send his best respects to you. He is in the 50 regt. You thought it strange that one of my letters were mailed at the Great Bend. I will tell you there was a man here to see his son in our compeny that lives there and I sent it with him. You seeme to think you will never see me again. You think I will never live through this war. Your mind about this is diferent than mine is. Of coarse it is posable that I wont live to get home again but that haint the way to think. I dont fear the bullets as far as that is concerned and it agrees with me to be in Virginia. I am tough and harty and can stand it to march. If I dont feele verry well I dont lay right down and give up as a great meney do. I say to myself I musent be sick and ceepe up good pluck and get along. But some of the boys give up and lay around and think of home and finely get so they cant help them selves. A good meney get home sick and discoureaged and it must be a bad feeling. I think about home as much as eney one but I wont be so fooleish to be homesick. I dersent for if I should I would go to the hospitle in a little while. I dont know how soone I may have to go but I hope I will ceepe my health and I guess I will come out all right. A soildiers life is a wild and careless life but there is something about it that is pleasent. There is a great meney hardships and yet I like it. If I had no friend or friends to care for at home I would enlist in the regular army for five years but I dont want to do it now. I had reather be with my friends at home. I like it better here than I did. The first months that is the hardest time for a soildier. After that he will get along. You sead you heard that Billy was dead. I dont think that is so. His discriptive list was sent from here to day. He is awaiting his discharge. He is lucey to get home. He is to young and not tough enough to be a soildier. A man has got to be tough and he has got to like it to make a good soildier. I have not heard from Rast yet. I am verry anxous to hear how he is. If you hear from him let me know. I am afraid it will go hard with him.
On another sheet
You wanted to know weather I read my testement or not. I have reather neglected it for a spel but I have not had much time or chance for it since we dont have the conveinence here that you do but I will try and read more but I dont swear nor drink whisky as the most of the boys do. They can get liquer here and they have great times. Yesterday was a verry cold day. James Brown sead it was the coldest day he see since he left home. It was cold last knight and it is cold today but the wind dont blow as it did yester and last knight and we have nothing but shelter tents. We sufer some with cold. We are agoing to move tomorrow in an old rebel camp about halfe a mild from where we are now and then shal fix our tents and build fireplaces and have it more commferabel. You sead Houngerford wanted to work Johns place. _____ I dont think it would be best. You may want to move up there in the spring and you will want it for the cow and horse. There is some that haint seded. You may let some one have that to sow to oat. Let my folks or your folks have it if they will take it but I guess you had better not have eneything to do with Hungerford. Has he paid that gain yet or not. I must tell you about my rach. I have got the ground eich. It is a common thing amonst the soildiers. It is caused by laying on the ground and eating so mouch salt pork. We dont freshen our pork and it is verry salt and it makes me crach. It breaks out all over my bodey and when I get warme it eiches tereble. I have got a chance to send my letter so I will stop for this time. So good buy. Give my love to our folks and your folks. Tel Lucinda Jinks her brother went to the hospittle when Rast went. My love to you. Good buy.
Charles to Charlotte
I would write more if I had time.
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