Stevenson Ala
Feb the 26 /64
Dear Wife
I received your letter of the 14th yesterday. It found me well. Was glad to hear that you are all well. You say James Brown is maried. He is a wise boy. I wish him good luck and hope he will returne home from the war all safe. I would like to see him. Perhaps I will before fall. I hope we can stay here this sumer but I dont know how it will be. There has ben annother divition put in the 12th A C. They are all regulars and the best lot of troops there is in the Army of the Cumberland. We have ben orderd under arms three times but havent see eney rebs yet. I see in the Broome Republican they have exhibited our old flag in the streets of Binghamton. I wish you could see it. I see in the paper that 13 of the fifteene towns elected Union tickets. Sorry to hear that Vestal is one of the copperhead towns. I dont think it will be next year. It is quite sickly here now. Two of our boys have got the measels and quite a number have sore throats. The weather is pleasent. The wind blows and the dust flies so I can hardly see. I took my jacket to the tailor this morning. I cant wait eney longer for the tape. The tailor has some and if you send eney I will let him have it. Wish you had it long enough to fix it for me. It will cost twelve shilings to get it fixed and you could fix it in four or five hours. You say you wish you could work out for your board. You cant do that. I know it is all you can do to take care of the children. I know it will be verry lonesome and hard for you to live alone on Bloomers place. I dont know what you had better do. You must do as you think best but I believe it would be as cheap and handy for you to hire your board if can find a good place. Then you wouldent have to buy a cow nor live alone. Every thing is high and you have every thing to buy but you must do as you think best. Eney way to get along the easiest. I hope I will be home again in a fiew months but if I stay my time out I have got nineteen months yet to stay counting from the time we was musterd in the United States service. That will soone pass away. I see a grisely bear last weak. He was brought from Knoxville. He weighed 800 lbs. He was captuerd at the foot of the Rockey Mountains and taimed. The onely grisely bear I ever see or heard of that could be tamed. His master went in the cage and performed with him. How I would like to see the baby. I hope he wont be so fleshey next sumer. It will almost kill you to take care of him. I want to send Matie something. I have got another ten cent peice. I will send that. Write often. Good buy dear Charlotte.
Chas Engle