Stevenson
Jan the 15 /64
My Dear Wife
I again take my pen in hand to answer your kind letter of the 4th which I received this evening. It found me well. We are haveing verry good times now. There is plenty of duty to do but rations are plenty. I have it verry easy now. I draw the rations for the compeny. That is all the duty I do. I drew five days rations this afternoone of every thing except bread. We get soft bread. I go to the bakery every morning and have fresh bread for the Co. The privates have it pretty hard. There is a great deal of guard duty to do. The colonels wife arived here this evening. I wish you was here but it is to far. It is a verry long jurney but I hope it wont be long when I can travel it again. I want to see you and the children verry much but the time pases away verry swift. My time is most half out. We want to ceep up good courage. That is half the battle. It is after nine oclock and I guess I will finish my letter tomorrow. The band is out playing. I suppose it is for the colonels wife. We have got a good band. It was here when we got here. I would reather hear you sing than to hear all the bands.
Sadurday morning the 16
Dear Charlotte
I will try and finish my letter this morning. You sead it was verry cold up there. I knew it must be cold up there. We have had some cold days here. The ground froze quite hard again last knight. You say you have got a quite nice pile of wood. Tell Ellick I am verry much obliged to him for what he done. You musent do without wood. I wish I could be home to get some for you. You dont know how bad I want to see John D and the rest of you. I sent a letter last Sunday with a $20 check and six dollars in. I hope you will get it all safe. Let me know as soone as posable. Write often as you can. We get a mail every knight at six oclock. I cant help but look for a letter every mail but I am verry often disappointed. I guess I wont write eney more this time. I will write again soone. I send my love to you. Good buy dear Charlotte.
Charles Engle
I got the four stamps.