the
March 14, 1864
Orange County. Va. Camp Near Gordainvill
My
Dear wife
I
imbrace the presant oppotunity of writting you a few lines in answer to your
kind and ever welcome letter. that I
receive The 12 of the presant month. it gave me great pleasure to hear
from you. and the children & all my
Friends This leavs me well ________
very bad cold but I hope ________long.
and I sincearely hope when this reaches you it may find you enjoying
good helth. I cant see what is to
hinder us from having colds. for two or
three days it rained and the water ran through our tent from one side to the
other. and I hardly know how we would
sleep. but as it was we maid out verry
well. we are verry well fixed at
presant. we have built another
chimney. I think that is what has maid
my cold worse than it was This makes the Third chimney we have had this winter
and I dont expect to Stay hear long. So
you say I must not get low spirited and not let trifles disturb me. My Dear I Think I have anougf(crossed out)
enough to disturb & trouble me so fare from those I dearly love. and no one to speek words of comfort and to
sooth my pain I would to god that this
cruel and unjust war was over so that we could meet and enjoy our selves the
remainder of our days on earth together
I hope that day is not fare distant when our little confredercy may be a
happy and indipendant Nation. My Dear
you Speek a great deal about the duch girles.
if no boddy cares no more for them than I do they would come out
badly. you need not be afraid of me
falling in love with them. for I hardly
ever Think about Them without I hear some one talking about Them. and Then it is in at one ear and out at The
other. I hope you wont Think such as
that of me. if I was to say such of you
you would not like it But I dont accuse
you of any Thing of the kind I would
have writen and sent it by mr Berry
but his dis charge came to him so unexpecting and he left so soon that I had not time to write. he
left hear for home the 13. Willy &
Jim Posy left hear the 7 at night on a 15 day furlough. I wish I was with Them to enjoy myself with
them for I know they are seeing a nice time
I hope you will not think of leaving and going north as long as you can help it. you speak of the southern woman what ladies are those you speek
off. Te11 annie she must cut her cards
right and not have two many irons in the fire at once. for if she does She will
let Some of Them burn. give my respects to her and tell her to write soon and
let me hear from her and Thad. give my respects to Sallie and tell her that she
must stay with you all she can & tell
her to send J.P. Jones up to his Regt. for he has ben home long enough.
charly Schooller Talks like he is coming to Stafford before long. My Dear I
wish if it is so that Willy & Jimmy can bring me a Small print of
Butter. I would be obliged to you and
also to the boys if they can bring it.
but if they have mutch to bring I would not bother Them. you neadent to think that I am suffering for any thing to eat. by
sending for this. we are hear where
there are no milk nor butter to be had. we draw coffee & shugar & rice & molasses twice a week. with bag? of fower & 1/2 lb of bacon per
day. and som times we draw corn meal
and beaf in place of flower & bacon. let me know if you have got your
flower yet. give my respects to Father
& mother & Jim Henry and tell them they must
write soon. give my respects to all
enquiring Friends & keep a good potion for your self and children. I will now bring my disintering letter to a
close by remaining your kind and affectionate husband untill death So good by. you must write as soon as you get this John. W. Watson
. (Along top of second page in smaller letters turned
on its side reads:
it
is rumored that we are going to tenessee but I hope it is not so)
,
