#41

Head Quarters 20^th Regt. CV

Stevenson Ala. Tuesday Evening

Dec 1^st 1863

Dear Wife

I received your letter of the 22^nd of Nov this morning when I was cooking breakfast was glad to get it and to hear that you ware all well I am as well as usual to night and hope whan this reaches you it will find you all the same.Yesterday I was under the weather a little had the sick head ache took a dose of those pills that I brought from home and they set me all right, have got only five of them left, we have had a pretty cold snap for the suny South I think Sunday and yesterday it froze all through the day in the shade but it has been warmer to day  Perhaps you would like to know how I spend my time now days. I will tell you a little about it  I am choping wood in the woods some of the time choping at the door for the shoulder straps at head quarters a little of the time worke on Stockades some and do various other things  day before Thanksgiving I helped dig a grave for one of Company E,s men  Thanksgiving day I shoveled shit a part of the forenoon com out on inspection at 12 Oclock whilst we was in line waiting to be Inspected there was fifteen hundred reb prisnors com in on the cars bound for Nashville  I tell you what it is the Rebs have catched particular fits down this way lately our boys have routted them from lookout Mountain and at last acounts they ware takeing leg bail for security  we have take from twenty five to thirty thousand prisnors about sixty or more pieces of Artillery, At two Oclock P.M. on Thanksgiveing day I got on board of the cars for Bridgeport as guard of some prisnors but did not finaly leave Stevenson until about ten in the evening got to Bridgeport about eleven Oclock it was very cold I tell you. I thought I should freeze my feet and hands as I had no mittins or gloves was out all night come back Friday in the afternoon, I think if the folks around there cant live on their wages that they are earning they had better com out here and let Uncle Sam support them  they can have all the Pork and hard Tack they want  I think if they would live on soldiers fare it would not cost them 21/2 dollars or even $1,75 a day to live I should like their chance I would run the resk but what I could support my family and save a little something besides, Tell Frank that I should like some of his poped corns this evening to chew on and you may tell Edgar that I am glad to hear that he is a good boy at school and hope he will try and learn all he can this winter, You must be getting short in money matters and I dont see as you will be much better off after you draw your money for you owe the bigest part of it from your acount of things I think you will nead a little assistance from your old man I will try and do something for you before long  it is about time for the ten dollar Order when I get it will send it along, Ella I was glad to get a line from you you must write every week if not oftner  Mother says you are teasing for a new bonnett  if you can get along without one you must remember that it is war times and money is scarce.  I guess I have wrote enough for this time so I will quit by wishing you all good night.  My love to you all From Your Husband  Father

A.C. Smith

Copyright © 2009 Bruce E. Leandro. All rights reserved.