Head Quarters 20^th Regt CV

Stafford Court House Feb 16^th 1863

Dear and most beloved Wife

I now seat myself to answer your letter which I received last Friday was glad to hear that you ware all well it found me well and I am well at presant and hope when this reaches you it will find you all the same; I guess you will think that I make mistakes enough this morning the boys are playing cards and they talk so much that they confuse me  I began to think that you had forgot to write to me as I did not receive a letter for two weeks but at last it came and right glad was I to get it for I felt as little anxious to hear from you when you write on recipt of this I wish you would state whether you have received that ten dollars from New haven yet and also whether you have got your money from the town and if you have state the amount you received if you get your money from the town I think that and what I have sent home will be sufficient to pay all of your bills and have some left as it would amount to somewhare about ninty dollars and your pork money would make it reach nearly one hundred dollars about the quantity of hay that you will want  I cannot tell so well about hear as if I was at home perhaps fifteen hundred will be enough you can aske Jo what he thinks about it.  I do not think it advisable to exchange our cow for a smaller one as it cost about as much to keep a poor as it does a good one if you think it to much of a task to take care of her you can sell her if you think it advisable that is if you can sell her for what she is worth but I think you would miss her very much if you should sell her for when you wanted milk or cream you would not have it if you do not sell her you had better see Widdow Percival and get her to pasture her but as you have to manage things at home I shall leave it to you to do as your are amind to; ask Jo if he has ever received a letter from me if has tell him that I have never received an answer to it and should like to have him take notice enough of a fellow that is off fiting for his country to answer his letter it is a very plesant day to day we have had some pretty stormy weather of late Saturday night and part of the day Sunday it rained very fast we have got us another hut built to shelter us from the storms we do not have a fire in it so it is not as pleasant as the one that we had at Fair Fax but this is better than none, Georgia Edgar & Frank I send each of you a ten cent shin plaster in this letter you can do what you are amind with it I would not spend it foolish however Edgar I am glad to hear that you are a good boy and try to learn this winter I wish you would write me a good long letter about anything that you would tell me if I was at home for it will learn you to write and compose  I guess I have wrote enough for this time so good day my love and a kiss to you all   From Your Husband & father A.C. Smith

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