Freestone County, Texas Letters [Letters by Jeremiah Terry "Jerry" Steward (1834-1894) to his wife Eliza Jane (Whitaker) Steward (1844-1901) during the American Civil War. Jerry was in the 1860 census for Freestone Co., Texas done on 12 Jul 1860 on page 9 of the census. Jerry was working in 1860 as a millwright for his father, Washington Steward, at Steward's Mill. Jerry enlisted in Capt. L.D. Bradley's Company under Colonel Randall's Regiment of Infantry and served in the Trans-MS Dept. Fought at Battle of Mansfield, Millekon's Bend, and many skirmishes. Became 2nd sergeant of Company H. with Captain Means in command. The company was disbanded in Hempstead, TX.] [Editors Notes: Misspellings and grammar mistakes kept. Underscores mark unreadable words but show the rough size of the word.] [Letter #1 - on 23 Dec 1862] Camp 20 miles north of little Rock Dec the 23/62 My dear Wife, I take the present opportunity to drop you a few lines to let you no how I am getting a long. I am only tolerable well this morning. I have a very bad cold and coff and have had ever since I left camp Nelson. I have been puny every since then tho I have never stoped. I have been going al the time. I ast the Capt to excuse me from general Review. he told me I would have to go the the Dr and get him to let me off. I tolled him I would not. I tolde him I would go if it killed me before I would go to the Dr. there is a great deal of sickenss in camp. the diseases are janders Pneumonea and diarear. we have lost and other man. George McMilan is dead. this makes 12 that has died out of our company. it looks like we wil ketch up with Wood co if we keep on. it is thought that we will got Vikburg yet. if we go then whitch must I do. come home or go the see my kin folks when I get a furlough. I am satisfied that it will be some time before I get to come home if General Holmes turns me lose. he is gon up to _____ man's army and it will be some time before he returns. if that letter does not do try the subscription. I think it will have to go the secatary of war. you said something about Frank coming to the army. tel him to wate just as long as he can. not to come until he is old enof to be conscripted. tel him he wil soon get tired of the service. I believe that I am better off than anyone. I have no brother to died and leave me and I can't leave them grieving after me. when a man dies in camp if he has no brother with him there is but little fus make about it. there would be more fus make about a dead hog than a dead man. you said something about having fatty bread. I got your letter last night and yesterday we got two hog feet to our mes and after reading your letter I was determining you should not live better than I did so I put the feat on to boil and when ______________it is very uncertain about our being mounted aain. if you keep growing you will be longer than I am when I get home if I ever do get there. I just weight 175 pounds with my heavy close on. the boys say I look very pale lately. I have not been clear of the head ache in some time. tho it is cold we have 19teen report for duty in our co. I did not mean to hurt your feelings about the Jim story. I said it in a joke. I hope you will for give me this time and kiss him if you want to or wait until (rest of the letter is missing). I did not send them that ring. ========================================================== [Letter #2 - on 25 Dec 1862] Dec. 25, 1862 Camp 20 miles north of little Rock on Ark river Dear Sister I take the present opportunity to let you no how I am getting along. I am not very well this morning. I believe I am taking the janders. I have been on the decline for some time. I keep going tho I feal very weak. there is several cases of janders in our company. have orders to march tomorrow in the directin of Pine Bluff Ark. it is thought that we will go to Vicburg yet. we will have to go somewhere. it is impossible for Ark to fead us more than a month long. that is this part. we will have to go to Vicburg or fall back to the Red River on accoaunt of provisions. our boys seem to be very ancious to get in battle. we are armed with enfield rifles, Belgium rifles and muskets. we are very well armed and we would do some good fighting if we had an opportunity. Nan I no what to think when Tom looks so mutch better than he use too and has got so mutch smarter. that is a mity good sine that there is some thing ______. Nan let him run until the war ends. there is many a poor woman that would be a heap better of than they are if they had of been single when this war commensed. look at Jane and see. suppose I never get back. it is rumered here that we have sunk sixteen of the feds gun boats at Vickburg. there is but little talk of pease. rite soon. tel the rest to rite. J T Steward (Notations across top of this letter seems to refer to rings he sent his wife and sisters during his service). ========================================================== [Letter #3 - on 9 Feb 1863] February the 9 1863 My Dear I am again permitted to drop a few lines to let you now how I am getting a long. this leaves me in tolerable health. I hope when these few lines reach your hand that they may finde you all enjoying the best of health and doing well in this world. we have had some very cold weather this winter. we have had four snows this winter. one has just melted off and it looks very mutch like rain this morning. NOTES: This letter made envelope style from steam boat receipts folder over. It is addressed on the front to Mrs. J. T. Stewart, Fairfield, Freestone Texas. The return is J. T. Stewart, Co. H. Randal Reg. _____ _____ Calvary. The Postmark is unreadable. There is also a broken sentence written on the envelop side. Can make out what may the county of _________. ========================================================== [Letter #4 - on 18 Apr 1863] Camp near Pine Bluff Ark April 18, 1863 Miss N V Stewart My dear and affectionate sister It is with great pleasure that I am permitted to answer your kind letter whitch came to hand yesterday. it found me enjoying good health and I hope when these few lines comes to hand that they may find you all enjoying the same good blessing. we lost another man the other day ______. J.B. Taylor he died with the typhoid fever. this is 14 men that has died out of our co. the health in camp is very good at this time. Josh Burleson is not wel. he has had the mumps and has had lite fever for too or three days. the rest of the boys is all wel. we have no nuse in camp and have not had for too months. I never saw as dul times in my life. there is no movements at all that we can here of. sometimes I think that they are trying to make pease and then I think that they are fixing to do some of the biggest fighting that ever has been dun since the war commenst. I would be glad that they would do one or the other. if I had my choice I would have them to make pease. we look every ______ mail for some nuse tho it never comes. I would like to see home one more time tho it looks like it is a long ways off. tho I hope the time wil come soon. you nead not be afraid of my shoing my letters to my mess. I never sho mine and I never keap them on hand. I read them and then burn them so no one reads them but me. the young men shos there letters that they get to there mess. if I could see you I could keep you company of sundays and I could interest you too., I hope that time is close at hand. J T Stewart ========================================================== [Letter #5 - on 24 Apr 1863] Camp near Pine Bluff Ark April the 24th, 1863 My dear wife It is with pleasure that I am permitted to answer your long and interesting letter. it found me wel and I hope that this may find you all injoying the same good blessing. the report is that the feds has taken Elexandra and that Old Banks is ther with sixty thousand men. we are going to take up the tine of march tomorrow morning for that plase. if they are there when we get there we wil have a lively time. Josh Burleson and Dave wil be left here. Josh had the mumps and they have fel on him. Dave has the rheumatic pains so bad he can't go. I can't write mutch. everything is in sutch a stir fixing to get off. if that subscription does wel and goes on to the war department and comes there before it comes to me you had better wait until you here from me when I stop before you start it to me. it mite be that it would get lost. tel Molie and Nancy that I wil write to them when I stop. it may be some time before you here from me. you must not get uneasy. an I wil write every cance I have. you must be more cautious how you write for I mite come home some time. if the boys was to ready your letters whitch they would be shure to do if any come after I left they would make a heap of sport of them. direct yours as you have until you here from me. I will close. leave off the sweetnes in your letters. just say dear or something of that kind. give my respects to all enquiring friends and receive my love to yourself. J T Stewart ========================================================== [Letter #6 - on 29 Apr 1863] State of Ark, county of Drew April 29, 1863 My dear wife I take the present opportunity to drop you a few lines to let you no how I am a getting along. this is the fourth day of our march. I am wel and getting along tolerable wel with my nap sack on my back. It has rained a great deal sinse we left and the roads is very bad. if they wer a little worse we could not go at all. we are on our way to Monroe La. you must not write to me until I write to you again. I have no nuse to write to you. I hope when those few lines comes to hand that they may find you all wel and doing wel. that dres pattern that man give to you you must keep it until you see me. and if you never see me keep it any how all the time. I wil write soon as I ______ (letter torn here) before. give my respects to all enquiring friends and receive my love to yourself. may the blessings of God be with you forever is my prayer. J T Stewart ========================================================== [Letter #7 - on 3 Jul 1863] [NOTE: This letter is written on a ledger sheet marked Monticello, La….185, Dealers in Hardware, Cutlery, Dry Goods & Groceries, _____of OLIVER & TRAVIS.] Delp______La July the 3/63 Dear and beloved wife it is with pleasure that I am again permitted to drop you a few lines to let you no that I am in good health and I hope when these few lines reach your hand that they may find you enjoying the same blessing. we have had another fight with the feds and negros. we killed a large number of negros and a few feds and taken eleven hundred negros and 40 feds. our loss too killed and thirteen wounded. we detroid several large farms and ________ that the feds had planted in cotton. we will strike them again in a few days. we fout this battle last Monday. this is the third battle. the other too was fought on Sunday. we heard yesterday that Johnson had whip Grant out a Vikburg but whethere it is so or not I can't tel. I hope it is. we have been on the march ever sinse the 25th of April. and I have marched a heap of it in the night. I stood it as wel as any of them. I have got to be a small man. I weight one hundred and sixty pounds tho my health is very good. Several of the boys is sick. one has died. James Gorman (possibly Norman or Newman) died last Sunday with the flue. Josh Burelson had got a very bad bile on his neck. the Chancelors are both wel. I saw Josh and John Guffee about a weak ago. they were both puny. we have 37 men for duty in our company. I rote to pa about that petition but perhaps he did not get the letter. I will write again. the one they sent was no account. they said the government did not need any cotton _________. if he wil get up another one and get it up write it wil do some good. tel him to send it to me this time. Mr Yarbro, Carner, Gorden (Garner?) and Dr. Adams, George Bradley has been to see us. Dr. Adams and _______ staid at home yesterday. Yarbro, _______ and Geo Bradley has gone over the Misp Riuver. if you can see any chance you may send me some close. send me one shirt one pare of pants and three pare of yarn socks. put pockets in the shirt. you (letter torn). I had plenty of (letter torn) to throw them away. patch the pants the first thing you do to them. you no where they will ware out first. on the seat and on the nease. tel the girls that I have got letters from all of them and was glad to get them but for the want of time and paper I could not answer them. I have got plenty of paper but had to leave it at Alexander. When we left Alexander we though we would go back in eight days. we started back but the order was countermanded and do not no when we will go back there. I would like to come home to see you all but the time looks like it is a long ways off. I am glad you can dream sweet dreams about me if you can't see me. I am so tired when I lay down to sleap that I do not take time to dream. when we march all day and until midnite we camp and then have our next days rations to cook you can get wheter we have time to dream or not. the boys all look like they was nearly worne out and we wil not get to rest until the fight is desided at Vixburg. I here heavy cannonading there this morning. kiss that big boy for me. that is all I can write. J T Stewart [Notes: Letter has been folded into enveloped shape with the last page left blank so as to form an addressable front. Post marked Shreveport, La, July 10 1863. Addressed to Mrs. J. T. Stewart, Fairfield, Texas. Return to J. T. Stewart, Co. H, Randals Regiment Cavalry.] ========================================================== [Letter #8 - on 4 Oct 1863] Chenieville La Oct 4 1863 My dear and affectionate wife I seat myself to write you a few lines to let you no that I am wel and I hope when those few lines reach your hand that they may find you all well. I was very sorry to hear of Randolf's death. tho we all have to die sooner or later the plan is to try to be prepared to meet death. there is no getting around that death. my dear I did play cards some times for fun but while Randolph was out here I quit and wil not play any more. you may depend on that. the health of our co is very good. they were all wel the last time I herd from them. I have not been with the command in over two weeks. I am detailed on provo guarde. I do not no how long the detail wil last. the winter I hope. I am acting ordily while I am on the detail and I have a house to stay in. you are talking about coming to see me. if you wait until you get this letter you had better wait unti Spring. the weathe wil be getting so colde and worse. by that time I wil be closer to home than I am now. unless Mr. Guffee comes. if he comes and brings a wagon you can come with him if you want to. If Mr Guffee does not come tel Pa to send Frank with my close. tel him to come by the country so the Jay Hawkers will not ketch him. what Mr. David tolde was so. if you was to to come to see me, if you was here now we could do fines as I am away frome the comande and we could have a house to stay in. tho I do not no long I will stay here. I saw John Guffee about two weaks ago. he was well. you must tel Mary Jane that I would have been very proud to have been at home to of seen her. give her my warmest respects. maby your petition wil do some good. it looks like you intend to have me to come home if there is any chance. wel that is rite. if at first you donte sucsead you wil sucsead this time I hope. you ned not send me any suspender buckles. I have aplenty. you may send me some buck skin to make me some shoe strings and you may send me an over shirt. I do not want any ten dollar________ move down in the morning. our calvary has taken too hundred fed prisoners in the last too weaks. I would like if you could have my filley got up tho you nead not_______ yourself to too mutch trouble. if she is lost it is not mutch. if I every get home I will try to finde he. what is the reason your Ma does not get some boddy to attend to her stock. I would think that they would not increase mutch running at larte. [NOTE: Rest of letter is missing] ========================================================== [Letter #9 - on 11 Oct 1863] Camp near Evergreen La October the 11th, 1863 My dear and affectionate wife it is with the greatest pleasure that I am permitted to drop you a few lines in answer to your kinde letter that came to hand last night. I was glad to here from you all tho sorry to hear of McNabbs bad health. I am wel this morning and I hope when these few lines reach your hand that they may finde you all well and doing well. the health of our company is very good. the Burleson boys is wel. we have been expecting a fight for too days tho it is reported that the feds has fel back this morning. Col Spates Brigade has a fight last weak. they killed about 40 yanks and taken 484 prisners. one col and one lieutenance col. I saw the prisoners. our loss was bout 30 killed. I do not no the number wounded. the skirmishers has been light fighting several days. it is hard to tel when we will have a fight or wil not have one. tel Randolph that our boys that was in jale when he was hear is out. they was not punished only kept in jale about a month. I rote to you about my close. I wil want too shirts as I have lost one and one over shirt. send me too shirts and one over shirt. and if you can make me a good heavy blanket. I do not ______ one like Randolph had. weave it like jeans heavy. it is said that the jay hawkers are stoping the people that are moving to Texas and rob their wagons. turn them back and tel them to stay in La. there has been a protracted meeting going on in our Brigade for about a month and it is still going on and it is doing a great deal of good. there has been something near fifty joined the church. it is a babtis meeting. you said you wanted me to use every means to come home. I want to come home worse than you want me to come but there is no chance for me to come unless I desert. I don't think you want me to come that way. I want you to send me Huet's testament if you can and if you send my close by Mr. Gufee or by Frank send me your ambrotype. that one that is in the double case. make a leather packet to put it in buckskin. my dear I am glad to hear of you being in sutch fine health and so large and stout. you are larger than I am. I exspect you are the best man now. I would like to take a rastle with you to see whitch could throw down. you mite throw me but I would turn you mity quick. I dreamed the other night that I ent home and staid three days and nites and you would not sleep with me and hardly talk to me. that makes twiste that I have drempt that. I exspect that it is so. is it. direct your letters to Marshall. I have been to preaching. there was six baptized today and 8 yesterday. I had just got back from the lodge. I feel just as happy as any boddy could feel so fare from home. J T Stewart to his wife ========================================================== [Letter #10 - on 11 Jan 1864] Camp Near Marksville, La - January the 11, 1864 My Dear and Affectionate Wife, it is with pleasure that I am onste more permited to drop you a few lines in answer to your kinde letter that you directed to Chenneyville. It found me wel and doing as wel as a man could in camp so far from his friends and his home. these few lines leave me the best of health and I hope that they may find you all we and doing wel.. My dear, you say that you have lost all hope of ever seeing me again. I am sorry to hear that you have. I have a brighter hope of seeing you now than I ever have had, that is for a long time, and have more hope of the war ending soon. I don't see how the war can last more that one more year, for if the feds donte let us alone in that time, we will have to give it up in that time for all the corn growing lands in this has been destroyed. that is all the fences has been burned and the negroes run off, all that did not go off with the feds and the whole army west of the Misps (Mississippi ??) River will have to look to Texas for support and if the feds take that, I donte see what we will do. You have heard so many reports about Walkers invasion. It is all false. There has been only one brigade and too Regt of walkers Division in a battle yet there was Skwnynd (??) Brigade last summer at Milikens Bend and Robbert's and Kings's at appaloulas last fall. that all of the walkers division that has every been in a fight yet. Randals Brigade has never fired a gun in battle yet. only Robbert Regt. there was a few killed. I do not no how many and a bout 20 taken prisner they were taken to new Orleans but they have also been exchanged and are now back in with their Regt. we taken more of them them then they did of any men. they were all exchanged Christmas day at neworlean. everything is very still now and times is very dul in Camps. we have plenty of blue beaf and yellow corn bread to eat. this may make you laugh but I wil tel you the taste the vituals that we have to eat here a dog would not eat it unless he was very hungry. the beaf is so ______ that when it is boiled it shrivels up and makes a pot full of jelly. I tel you that it looks too nasty for a dog to eat but it is that or nothing. some times we come by a little pork at a dollar a pound. Chickens is seling from too to four dollars a pease. you note that you was nearly out of money. I donte no what you wil do for I have got no more to send to you. everything is so xxx and I wil buy something to eat and my wages is so little tht it takes all I get to keep me up. I use to save all my money and send it to and when I had sent enof to pay my debts though I would try to live off of the rest. the reason that note to you not to send me any more close I thought I would try to draw my closths from the government. I have not drawn any cloaths yet and have not got any clothing money yet and I thought that the you taken to make my cloaths that you could knit or sew and get money to buy sutch little thing as you need. if I could draw my cloathing money I would sent it to you. they owe me over a hundred dollars for cloathing but there is no teling when I wil get it. they was to of payed it last September but it is not payed yet and I have not got all the money fro my horse yet by a hundred and 15 dollars. If I had all that is owing to me I could send you too hundred dollars but I do not no when I wil get it. I have a hundred dollars by me now but I want to keep it so if I get a furlow that I wil hae money to bare my expenses home. my Dear I am comeing the first chance I get that you may depend on. I have plenty of paper and ink and envelopes and more than I wil use. I want you to lend me that golde pen of George's by Jose Burleson if you get this letter before he starts back. donte send mine send Georges. Nancy had it when I left home. I donte want a holder. I only want the pen point. Send me a pare of socks by Josh and you may send me them shoes and ____ Carter wants you to knit him a pare of gloves like mine as soon as you can and send them to me. knit them as soon as you can and send them first chance you have. my Dear if I never see you and the feds comes where you are donte do like the ladys of La. take your jewlry and bury it for if you them and the negros will get it but keap it on and in your trunk. the best way wil be to keap I on tho I hope they may never come where you are. my Dear I think I wil get a furlow the next time there is any ones forlowed from our company. I am coming if there is any chance for me to come if it was not for the after affect I would come furlow or no furlow. I would take me of one and come any how. I tel you I am getting very tired of this war now. xxxx I am given my best respects to all enquiring friends and receive my love to yourself my dear. if I could tel you my dream I had last night, you would nearly kill yourself laffing. good bye sweetness. J T Stewart ========================================================== [Letter #11 - on 1 Mar 1864] Camp near Clarksville La March the 1/64 My dear and affectionate wife I take the present opportunity to answer your kinde letter which came to hand yesterday. they found me wel and I hope when these few lines reach your hand that they may finde you all wel and doing wel. I have no war nuse to write. only our officers has opened free trade with the feds and have got all the government wagons hauling cotton. they trade cotton for all kinds of good and the calico they get is issued out the officers and the privates gets nothing and it is causing great dissatisfaction among our soldiers and a great many swares that they wil go home if it is stoped or explained. they want to no what it means having free trade with a nation and fighting at the same time and it does look strange to me tho it may all be for the better. I hope it is. you rote to me to come home. I intend to come home the first change and maby before tho you need not think that I will desert to come home. if I do not get home by the first of May I want you to put off coming a month longer. say the first of June. that wil be soon enof for you to start to see me. you may tel Tarlton that he can't sho the paper that has got my name in it published as a deserter. it was James Story, Bill Day and bill Driver. tel him my name was not in it and he noes it and I hope it will never be said to our boy your father was a deserter. I would like very mutch to go with you and the girls to the Falls a fishing. if you and them will be ready if I get a furlow this Spring we wil go by after Mr. J_____ and take a _____. I think I could enjoy a trip of that sort now. finely I wi not tel you what them presents are that I have got for you and the girls but I no you all wil like them. I have got one for Mrs. Wells tho I have nearly got out of the notion of giving it to her. I think if nothing happens I will get to start home by the middle of April. Josh Burleson says your boy is the ugliest childe he ever saw in his life. he says he is ugly as a mud fence stucked and ____ with tadpoles tho I hope he is mistaken about him. I hope the time won't be long before I can see for myself tho it may be some time yet. my dear I try to write you a letter every weak. my dear we have some mity fine fish here. we are camped too miles from the River. we have a very strong forte on the River tho I hope wil never have no use for it. I hope this war wil end some of these days. I will close. give my best respects to all enquiring friends and receive my love to yourself. tel Mollie I wil answer her letter in a few days. J T Stewart ========================================================== [Letter #12 - on 8 Mar 1864] Camp Bayou de lack March the 8th/64 My dear wife I take the present opportunity to drop you a few lines to let you no that I am wel and I hope when these few lines reach your hand that they may finde you all wel and doing wel. we have moved our camp. we had to move on account of water. we moved about ten miles. my dear we had a great excitement up in our Regt last weak about this cotton trade. all of our Regt refused to do duty until it was esplained. the officers was too days a getting things to wright. the men are now getting to become satisfied. the officers has promised and explaination in a short tiem. I hope it wil turn out rite. my dear I wish I could write you a long letter tho it is implosible for me to do it at this time. my dear you can make my clouths as you spoke of doing. I do not like the culler of my overshirt as wel as I thought I would. you make them to please yourself and they wil please me. my dear I hope it wil not be long before I can have the opportunity to come and bring you a verble letter. that would please me better than any thing I no of at this time. my dear the longer I stay here the worse I want to come and see you. our mail has not come in this weak. I have a chance to send a ltter by Mr. A. C Anderson who has just come acrost the River. he is a member of Moody's olde company and if any of you wants to sende letters across the River you can send them by him when he goes back and they will go threw safe. his command is in Georgia. my dearl tel the girls not to get tired of writing to me for I wil not get tired of reading letters. I would be glad if it was so that I would read a new one every morning. I will write every chance I have. I can't complain of your for I do think that you do very wel. it does me so mutch good to read a letter from my affectionate wife. my dear I am in fine spirits this morning. I wish I new you was in as good spritis as I am. tho I am in too big a _____ to write muctch this time. when the mail comes in I will write again. _____ my respects to all inquiring friends and receive my love to yourself. ========================================================== [Letter #13 - on 30 Dec 1864] J T Stewart to his dear wife you must write ofter I wil not get of reading your letters. Camp Mag______ (Magruder?) near Mindon La Decenber 30/64 Dear Jane It is with pleasure that I am one time more permitted to drop you a few lines to let you no how I get a long. the too first days was as colde as every I felt. the next day was more moderate. the next day it rained nearly all day and after riding in the rain until nine in the night we got to a house that we could stay at. next morning it was clear. we went on our jurney. that night it was equally as hard to get to stay at a house. I never had as hard a time in getting to stay at houses in my life before. some had no corn to fead horses on and others had no house room. some did not want soldiers to stay for fear they would steal something and some did not want soldiers to stay for fear they would steal something and some did not take Confederate money. we got to camp the seveth moring safe and sound with a windshake or wood pecker hold. we found a 11 in moderate health and comfortably situation in good houses and getting nearly enuf to eat. the Burleson boys are wel and the Chancelors. I saw Isack Awalt the other day. he was wel. he belongs to Gools Battalion. he is campted about four hundred yards from us. Frank is wel. I found all the things that was sent to me. the pants that pa sent for me to give away did not come. Bill Blair said they were left at Fairfield. he did not bring them. I want to no if you put a pare of socks in my alet when I started. if you did I lost them before I got to camp. if I did lose them that was all I did losse on the way to camp. I am wel pleased with the couler and the make of my coat tho it is too short waisted and too small in the waist. tho it does very wel. I do not like the couler of my pants as wel as if they had of been brown. I never did like red pants tho they do mity wel. I think my coat is very pretty. if you ever have to make me another one make it a little longer in the waist. it large enof every wher else. frank has too many clouths and I intend to send some of them home. I thought I would send my new over shirt but frank has worn the bindings of his and he wanted mine because it was warmer than his and I let him have mine. ma can make me one if the plase of it next year if I nead it. I like the make of it too ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ the pockets is made. you lacked one pocket of putting pockets enof in my coat. you aught to have put one side pocket in the right side. Frank has the itch very bad tho I think I will cure him in a short time. there is several of the boys got it. the reason that I did not start the horses rite back is Henry Arp has sent up a furlow and if he gets it he wants to ride one of them home. it taken nearly all the money I had to have (haul) our _____ to camp ______. I wil have enof to send them back it wil be a tite fit. tho they say that the government wil pay us all it ows us next month. if they do pay I have money plenty to do me. my dear I thought I would write a few lines this morning just to ask your for your new years gift while I was traveling Christmas Day. I got a fine egg Christmas. that is more than I have got _____ this morning. It is colde that ails me. I don't think it wil hurt me mutch. I hope these few lines may find you all wel and doing wel. I wil write a few lines when Steve gets ready to start. Jan 5, 1865…my dear I got your letter you sent by John Guffee. it found me wel and I hope these few lines may finde you all wel and doing wel. I would like very mutch to see you now. I could tel you something that would interest you. I wil try to write a ltter that wil be interesting to you next time. I do not feel like writing more this time. may the blessing of god rest upon you now and forever is my prayer.