Sunday Eve (Note: This letter is undated but is likely November 30, 1862 or a continuation of the December 7, 1862 letter. It is prior to December 9, 1862 when Billy is taken to the hospital.)
Well Charlotte I coul tel you more about our reconnoisance but I have got something else to tel you. I will tell you that it cured me. I am getting fat again. My apetite is good again. I tel you if we haint lieved on the top shelf to day then I treat. We got your box last knight and I opened it and there was all the good things just as nice as could be. The first thing I tasted of was that buter. I tore the cloth and put my teath in it. Oh how good it did taste not eating eney since I left home. I found a labil on every thing and Rast took his and Wm his and I mine and we looked at them and cept tasting. Them sausages are so good I cant hardly let them alone and them cakes taste like home. Tel your Ma her fried cakes tast naturel. She alwais makes souch good ones. Tel Mother them onions grew a great deal after I left home. They are so nice. Tel her I shal think of her every time I eat of them. I tell you we had a nice box of things and everthing tasts good after five days march wich was 75 miles. Them rapers come in good for it is cold. It froce my onions last knight in our tent but it haint hurt them and them socks come in verry exceptible for I have wore my onely pair two weaks. Everything come through nice and just the right time. I told you in my last letter that I was disappointed in not getting a letter from you. I got it Monday and yesterday I got two from you. One had the recied in it. William bought a prize package and it had a breastpin in it and he sends it to his Ma. He seas she must ceep it to remember him. He has got the rheumatism in one of his feet. He dident go with us on the march. He was taken sick that morning. Rast dont do eney thing but take care of him. His lameness seams to work up in his ancle Monday eve. I commenced my letter yesterday and dident have time to finished it and this morning I had to go and chop fire wood. We burn 15 loads of wood a day and when I came in to knight I got me up a good super of sausage and onions and bread and buter. Oh how good it did taste and then I toped off on a cupel of fried cakes. I dont use my tea. I save it for Wm. He likes it and he dont like our coffe. My gloves are just the fit and they come good to for it is cold here as Greenland. I got that money all safe. I hope we shal get our pay before long. You wanted to know how meney oats to for Jack. You had better sell the most of them as Jack dont have much to do. You said you paid Lathrop. I paid Ambros $2 dollars before I came away. I want you to write wheather you had to pay the whole or not and how much you had to pay him. You must make Houngford pay that grain. Tel him I say he must get it. You want it now. Grain is high. I wish I was there to see to it but they hadent ought to take advantage of you. You wanted to know wheather I wore my knight cap or not. I ware it every knight. I shal have to draw my letter to a close for it is most time for roole coll and then the light must be put out. I could tel you a great deal more if I had time but I want my letter to go tomorrow so you will get it Sadurday. I guess you will get tierd reading before you get this read. I write in a hurry. Billy gets worse. He seams to be lightheaded. He looks sick. Tell his folks how he is. He haint as well as he was when Rast wrote. I am afraid he will have a hard time before he gets better. We will write again soone and let you know how he is. Take care of your self and Maty. I wish I could see you all. What a good visit we would have. I shal have to stop for the want of roome.
From your husbman.
Charles Engle to Charlotte Engle
The drums beat. I must stop.