Wednesday, January 06, 1864 - Stevenson, Alabama

Camp 20^th Reg,t CV

Stevenson Al,a Jan 6^th 1864

Dear Wife & Daughter

I now seat myself to answer your letter of Dec 27^th It came to hand this morning so I thought that I would commence one more letter for you whilst I was in Stevenson, I was glad to get your letter and to hear that you was as well as you ware when you wrote Your letter found me well and I hope when this reaches you it will find all of you well of your colds and in perfect health I have just come off from guard at 7 Oclock got my supper and eat it so I concluded to commence this letter whether I finish it to night or not have got to turn out again at 4 Oclock in the morning and rout out my relief and get them on guard have to stand 3 hours at a time, It is cold here again now it cleared off the night that I wrote your last letter and come round cold as ever, I expect that this is the last time that I shall write to you from Stevnson for I hear that we leave here to morrow at 9 Oclock in the morning and I shall be glad when we get away if we have got to go the quicker the better for I dont believe that my duty can be any harder at any other place no matter whare we go, You wanted to know if I got my [saluratus] and if it done me any good I received it but as for its doing me any good I cant say that it did any other way than it done me good to know that I had someone in the distance that thought anough of me to send what they though might help improve a soldiers fare but as we did not draw flour but once that was gone before the Sally Rastas arived I thank you a thousand times for it but you nead not send any more at preasant, You said you had got your wood into the house who did you have your wood of and how much did you give a cord for it who cut it up for you and how much did you have to pay for that or have you not paid for it yet pleas write how your acount stands wheather you owe any thing or not if so how much and how much money you have got by you if any and whether you have got those checks and if you have got the money on them, You say Butter is 30 cts there it is 75 cts here and none at that but I should not buy any of it if it was more pleanty for I cant aford it I think my family neads what little wages I get for my services therefore I shall try and live on what the government furnishes me with, as for flour that is the only article that I know of that is cheaper here than at home can buy that to the commissarys for 3 cts a lb that is les than six dollars a bbl it is good flour to, Well Georgiana I received a few lines from you was glad to get a few words but shuld like to have you spend a little more time and give me a little longer letter next time.You tell Dan Williams that I am not over and above black yet neither am I a copperhead either and as my going for money is concerned you may tell him that you gess that your father generally earnt about as much at home as Uncle Sam is paying him now and had about as good fare besides having some whare to sleep nights I hear that when you are asked to write to me that you have nothing to write now it is the same with me when I write to you I have to write the same old thing over and over again but what of that write something if it is nothing more than that you mean to try and be a good girl and try to be better every day, I am sorry to hear that you run away with a notion that you shall doe as you are amind to when you get to be eighteen why I was perfectly astonished to hear anything of the kind from my only darling daughter and I hope that you will repent any thing so rash before it gets to be to late just write to me in your next what you think of what I say and have said to you before such a nice girl as you ought not to get such notions in her head you must obey your mother always it will be for your own good say will you, my love to all of you from your Husband & father

A.C. Smith