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Fredericksburg Va
Mch 6th 1863
My Ever dear Sister,
I received your
very interesting communications (and to my
satisfaction it was some what lengther than
common) of the 24th of Feb
Sister I havent much news and havent
had time to gather any sence my last
which was sent off two or three days ago
but your last letter contained such
good news that I cant help from replying
to it immediately I presume you know
what good news I refer too but I can very
easily tell you it is in refference to Mollie
C. you can tell her that it is a trade if
she sais so but I guess she was just a joke-
ing or at least she will say she was,
but I object to the time I would prefer
waiting until the war closes This way
of going home on furlough to marry dont
suit me for I want to stay with my wife
when I get her &c Pshaw, what nonsense
I am writing I am afraid that I am too
much like my sister too fickle
Sister I believe you have [crossed out: and are] bin fooling me
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Sister you say that you heard that
they would grant furloughs to the
Soldiers to get married I have never
heard any such things as I would
of bin writing to some young lady
long since. There the drum beats
for dreessparade so I must go isent
it agravating to set down to write
and have to quit before you get
your letter done &c I shall be crossed
if I dont go right now
Well dressparade is over and I resume my
seat to continue this letter but the
wind blows right in at the doore of
my little shanty and blows the smoke
all out if I shut it I cant see but
I cant stand the smoke There the
wood has rolled down and upset
my cup of yeast realy I cant see
how a man can live a batchelor
soldiering has learned me never
to keep batchelors hall for he has
to do his own cooking and washing &
sewing I know you would laugh
to see me wash but I doubt whether
you could beat me or not and I have
got so that I can patch first rate
sew on buttons & mend ripped places &c
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You may wish to know why I dont
hire my washing done the reason is
simply this it would take more money
to hire my washing done than the
Confederate states pay me we have
to give fifty cents a garment
You would have to have three peces
washed pr week or four peces it is
if we weare two shirts and there isnt
many but what weares two shirts so that
would be two dollars per week and
Eight dollars per month and we only
get Eleven dollars per month for
our services now what do you think
as the Dutchman sais now vats you
dink ha, well I must close for to
night good night
Mch 7th Sister I resume
my seat to finish this communication though
I need not be in a hury for I cant
send it off until tomorrow as I have
neglected it so long this morning &c
I will give you the latest news There
is an old man that lives in this country
that sais peace will be made in three
months and his reasons for saying so is
this there is a spring in his place that
has dried up three months before each
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war comenced in the last Eighty years he
sais that it dried up three months before
the old revelutionary war comenced and
started to running again three months
before peace was made and it done
the same in the Mexican war and
it dried up three months before this
war comenced and about ten days
ago it broke out to running again
Now vats you dinks? ha
If you believe in signs
surpose you believe in that I
dont I cant think that the war
will end now in twelve months
if then for old Lincoln has called
for three hundred thousand mili-
tia and he has the power to keep
all the men in servis that he has
in now for they have passed the conscript
law, but three hundred thousand
of his mens time is up the first of
May & June I dont know what they
will do but I hope they will go home
and stay there dont you if they would
resist the conscript law there is so
many of them what could Abe Lincoln
do Why he couldnt help himself
I wish they would dont you Sister
Cherry Family Civil War Letters
