Stevenson Ala
Feb the 1 /64
My Dear Wife
I wrote you yesterday but I am alone this evening and I will write a fiew lines and let you know what I have ben doing to day. I visited with Wm Town R Cambwell and J Depue. It seamed like home to see old friends from Vestal but they hadent see you. J Laton K Sanders and H Stenbren and old Magor Merserou was along. They got here yesterday afternoone and lay here until to day noone. It was fun to see them eat hard tac. They think they have had a hard time but they dont know eneything about hard times but it comes hard on them as they haint uest to hard fare. They say most of the new recruits would reather go in most eney other regt than the 137th as it is a fighting regt. They all want to go in the 109th. I dont blame them much but they wont know eney thing about soldiering if they go in the 109th. If they come in ours they will see the elephent if there is eney fighting going on verry near us. The 109th haint seene the elephents track yet but we cant say that. We have seene him and see him shit his lead and iron. There is an offull steam comes from his as when he shits. He is alwais mad and roars all sorts. He haint shit on me yet and I hope he never will. I can bear the smell verry well but it is pretty apt to kill or give a pass to the hospittle. I dont want to play ball with the rebs eney more. They throw to careless. Alwais when I plaid ball up north and caught the ball I was in but it haint so here. If we ceach we are out. I guess enough of such talk but I feele a little so to knight and I had no one else to tell it to. I drew rations this after noone. I drew three days smoked shoulder and two of good fresh beef. Wish you had my ration of beef. I got the paper this morning and almanac. You want to know what kind of house we have got here. We have got a good one. It is about ten by fifteene and but four of us in it. That is Orderly Williams Sergt Antrews Sergt Hazard and myself. We are having the best times now we ever had since we come out. The weather is warm and pleasent. I have writen twice a weak. Paper is 40 cents a quire and envelops 30 cents pack but I dont care. For that I can earn enough washing to buy what I want and more to. So I shal write every two or three days if it is foolishness. I am well and much hope you all are. My love to you and all. Good buy.
Chas to Charlotte