Camp at Warrington Junction Va

Monday December the 11th 1864 [should be 1863]

“I have just returned from Guard Duty on the Rail Road where I have been for two days & when I Came Back I Received a letter from you Our duty is very hard on us here while we are on guard we can not Sleep at all 48 hours we have to Stay on Post without Sleep & when we come into Camp Some of them have to go Back again But if Nothing happens we shall get along well Enough I have got another Shanty Built up & yesterday I made a picture of it which I will send to you together with a letter from a soldier of how we Live fight & Die it is the most true of anything I have ever Seen in Print You Spoke about my Reinlisting [sic] there is Not money Enough in America to get me to Enlist again No Clara if I Ever get Out of this Scrape alive & well I Shall Remain at home Contented the Rest of my life.”

The weather is twice as cold as last winter and they’ve had two snowstorms already with 6 inches of snow on the ground. He sold the two pocket handkerchiefs and the thing she sent him to wear around his neck. He’s hoping they’ll get paid next pay day and he’ll send her money. “You spoke about Bill [Morey?] enlisting again this is the Onley [sic] place for such men as Him Here we can keep them away from whiskey & women a Bully Place for men that don’t know how to Behave at home every once in a while some one keeps hearing something about his wife what she is doing while he is gone oh I Believe I should go Crazy & Shoot myself if I Should hear such things about you So far I have never herd [sic] anything about you & I hope I never shall I Believe I have a good wife & one that loves me & I love her in Return I hope god may Spare us to meet again & live & take comfort in one another Society James [Wandwright?] is two days over his time on furlough now & I don’t know what will be done with him when he comes back that Mr [Edic?] has been Released from the guard house & one months pay taken away from Him He is as you Say a good man & deserves Better treatment but every one must Pass through a course of Milatary [sic].” Lengthy closing, encourages her to keep from catching so much cold because he worries so when she is sick.