1863-02-18 letter from James Thitchener to his aunt

              Due to the difficult nature of Thitchener's writing,
the edited transcription will follow the literal transcription.



Feb the 18 Palmath Virginia Stafford CO
Dear Ants i thought i wood rite a few lines
to you all to let you knoe i am well and harty
and hope this will find you all the same then
i am shure you will feal good well the we hav
had a large snow storm and it tis not over
with yet i hope it will soon clear off for we am
all damp and sum of us is wet thrue wen ever
it rains or snows we am shure to git wet and we
am always glad to see the sun come out and
then will all will croll out of our tents and
shake up our beds and git them dry for the next
storm for we hav a storm evry three days the rigment
is quite sickley at present sum of them dies moste
evry day or too six months more we will be a small
rigment thir is sum gitting sick evry day and sum
gitting thir discharge i think i shall play up sick
too and see if they wonte discharge me for i am 
what tierd of this way of living i think if i shood [live]
thrue this camppain if i did not hav no fiting
to doo i shall be very luckey indeed ouor living
is sum better than it was we hav frech bred
tuise a weak and the boys has had plenty boxes
of govt things sent to them from home and i happen
to be luckey and hav had plenty to eat too



Feb the 18, Palmath Virginia Stafford Co
Dear Aunts,
I thought I would write a few lines
to you all to let you know I am well and hearty
and hope this will find you all the same then.
I am sure you will feel good well the we have
had a large snow storm and it is not over
with yet. I hope it will soon clear off for we are
all damp and some of us is wet through. Whenever
it rains or snows, we are sure to get wet and we
are always glad to see the sun come out and
then we’ll all will crawl out of our tents
and shake up our beds and get them dry for the next
storm, for we have a storm every three days. The regiment
is quite sickly at present, some of them dies most
everyday or two. Six months more, we will be a small
regiment. There is some getting sick everyday and some
getting their discharge. I think I shall play up sick
too and see if they wont discharge me for I am
what tired of this way of living. I think if I should [live]
through this campaign. If I did not have no fighting
to do, I shall be very lucky. Indeed, our living
is some better than it was. We have fresh bread
twice a week and the boys has had plenty boxes
of government things sent to them from home and I happen
to be lucky and have had plenty to eat too.