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November the 18th, 1863
To my cousin:
It is with the greatest of: pleasure that I take my pen in hand to inform you that I am well at present and seriously hope these few may find enjoying the same blessing.
I have been deeply interested in the welfare of my dear kindred at home and to my surprise and sorrow rather thinking that you all in turning up so instantly without terribly good luck has created great losses if write you should write anything you expect to take place or that you are a-going to do, if it should not take place or is not done.
You should write immediately if the case be certified the next day you should
as soon as the nature of case would admit.
So if it were surprise our minds would not be so long flusterated with it. I can tell you that cannot write too often for I have wrote several letters and was sadly disappointed in hopes of getting answers. Give you to know that a letter from home is quite consoling to soldier
that cannot get the news of the day as for Uncle James I have not received the scratch of a pen though I honored him with two and Aunt
Sarah wrote three but I never got one of them so I was informed by
Luoise Embry. I got one of Mary and Ellen Embry, I like to get one from
home and like got it before
I got to Boston. I had not wrote a Letter, she did not know precisely where I was.
The Captain said this morning that Charles Newton is now in Virginia, was the first of my knowing where he was since he wrote to me from North Carolina. I heard he was gone there but it was disputed though I
suppose it so and I expect he is faring better than we are. There are several others with him that have got well and they have nothing to do but have fun. They drill us till we cannot rest sometimes several of them be have got sick and had to leave the ranks and some fainted and fell but the old horse never been fazed (?)
I was sick
which I thought was about rassle me down to the foot of the hill, I am about right now though I have not drilled for 6 weeks.
Take good care of the girls There have been no real movements here since I wrote last only they have been great of fortifying and mounting gun mortars. They thought that some of them will throw a ball 400 pound in weight. They show no great sign of fight, blockade regiments here the 55th First and Second South Carolina Pen Sylvania Second North Carolina is here. I have nothing to drink worth speaking of the quartermaster gives us a little when we come from work at night though we have moved camp and now we can
(end of letter)