Head Quarters 20th Regt CV
Stevenson Ala Nov 2th 1863
Dear Wife
I now take my pen in hand to answer your letter which I received last Sunday night but have not had time to answer it before I was glad to hear from you that you ware all well your letter found me well and still remain the same and hope when this reaches you it will find you all well You say that you have got to pay five dollars a cord for wood I think they ask you to much for it who is it that askes that for wood Mr Purple says his Wife payed only for and half for hers this fall and Warren Culver says his Wife paied but four dollars a cord dont let them shave you in any of your trades keep your eyes peeled for them for I presume they would like to take the last cent from you if they could. I think Billy Purple has been very smart he don a big thing he probably believes in raising up soldiers and goes in for a vigerous prossecution of the war, I suppose you feel some considerable better sence you have got that hole in your face partly stoped if you do it is all right I dont see as it makes any diferance with me however I dont find the hard bread any softer or the extra fatted beef for army use any tenderer it remains very much the same, You said in your last that Georgia was mad so She was not going to write I am sure she could not have been mad with me therefore I should have thought she could wrote a few lines but never mind any time when she feels so that she dont want to write to me she can let it alone I shall probably live just as long, I dont know but it is becaus she has got to be such a big girl that she dont want to write to me for you wrot that she was taller than you are I think she must have grown very fast since I left home, You want to know how I like here whare I am now, Wal I like very well at presant I am in the pioneer squad we have put us up som log huts to live in this winter I have got the best Quarters now that I have ever had since I left home Now if they only leave us here this winter I think now that I shall be very well sattisfied that is I mean if we have got to stay in this part of the country I should be better satified if the war would come to a close and Uncle Sam would tell me to go home and take care of myself thats what would sute me as well as any thing that I know of now I had a letter from Delos last Tuesday shall answer it as soon as I can get time I have been in the woods choping to day cutting timber for a Stockade by a rail road bridge about a mile & a quarter from this place, I have got things quite comfortable whare I am now have got a good fire place in our shanty so if it rains or is cold I can keep dry and warm, It has been very warm here to day but it begins to rain now I suppose it will be about Thanksgiving when you receive this how is that Turkey that you was going to rais for me I have not heard anything about it lately I guess you will have to eat My share of the Thanksgiving Supper this year that wont trouble you I suppose seeing that you have got those new teeth, dont grate them so when you read this letter as to break out any of them tell the boys that they must be good boys and try and see how much they can learn this winter My love and a kiss for all of you
From your Affectionate Husband & Father.
A.C. Smith
Copyright © 2009 Bruce E. Leandro. All rights reserved.