Camp Kempers Ford Va
Sunday Sept the 13 /63
Dear Charlotte
I will again try to write a fiew lines to you to let you know that I am well and that I got your letter and the likeness. I was verry much pleased with it. It is a good picture. You are poor and and have grown old fast. Matie looks sweet as can be. The baby looks a little cross but it is a nice picture. He is a smart looking baby. I have wished myself home a good meney times since I got the likeness. I suppose you are to Mr. Bartons to day. I wish I was there with you to day. You have ben selling some of your stock. As far as I am conserned I dont care but I am sorry to have Jack go into the army. If you could have went over the battlefield of Gettysburg and see the dead horses and know how they fare sometimes you would hate to see him go in the army. Bill Basher will make just $25 on him. He will sell him for 100 dollars if he sells him to the goverment. I think he will ceepe him and fit him for trade. I guess it was the best thing you could have done to sell him as he wasent getting eney better. If I was in fathers place I would trade the cold for a pair of oxen. They would be the best and cheapest. I have made a little money this weak. The overcoats that the boys sent off last spring came this weak and I washed 14 of them. I get most five dollars for it. It was a verry hard job they was so dirty. I have got me another coat. There was a good meney coats without oneers and I helpt my self to one. There has ben heavey canonadeing up the river this morning and we have got orders to be readey to march at a moments notice. I dont know weather we will go verry soone or not but I think we will before long. I heard the 2th corps is moveing now. I dread the march and we will have overcoats to carey to. The 111th __? regt have got their conscripts. There is about 300 of them and there haint but one conscript. The rest are all substitutes. 30 of them are rebels that dezerted at Gettysburg. They say the war cant last much longer. They say all they got to eat was a quarter of a lb of beaf and a pinte of flower per day without salt. They are good soldiers and well drilled espeshly in battalion drills. I have ben in a peach orchet this morning and eat so meney peaches I am about dead. How I wish you had some of them. The treas are loaded and they are verry large. Labe Brown was reather cunning to enlist in the 109 regt the kid glove regt. It may see hard times yet but I hope not. I hope they will stay there untill the war closes. I havent got time to write eney more to day. I wrote this on the doubel quick. I am glad you are all well. Write often. It is a great comfort to get letters.
Charles Engle to Charlotte E