1861 December 24 Manassas Junction Va

[letter written in pencil that has smeared]

Dear uncle I drop you a few lines
to let you know that we are I am
well at present hopeing when these
few lines reaches you they may find
you all injoying the same blesing
I recd your letter last saturday & Nat
got one yestord day &c I have no importing
news to write to you at present only we had
a little Scirmish last week as our
regiment was agoing to starte in afor
picket they command was to go with the

[most of the following line obliterated by a fold in the paper]

went with them and took one piece of
artilery with them and took a pass at them
they run them off of [word scratched out] there post
and they went onn and the yankes got in
to an old Church and and[sic] the atilrey
shot in to the house and they biled [piled?]out
at the windows like if you was to
throw against a hornets nest and then
we left and come back got what feede
they wanted and next day Borygarde went
out with [?] face and they tock a
nother [?] all together with artilry I dont
know what the loss was the reporte is that
both [?] at once but we wont here the
trouth is that you can here this before we can
fore they wont tell us if we do get [?]
Did you see in your letter I wrote so smal
that you thought I must be out of paper
and invlos and this is the last invelop

[page 2]
and you sed someting about clothing
I need winter clothing very bad I want
you to get you me some if you please I want
you to get have me two pare of britches and
two weskets and I [want] you to get me a over-
coat you can have me one made out of
my Faters over coat if you [?] you
would if it will mak it make them
heavy and thick shirts I have plenty
and socks Nat ses he wants a pare of
britches and wants you to send him 8 or 10
lbs of [?] if you can get a good oppirtunity
they sell for 50 cts a lbs cloth is not to be
had here that is any account some of our boys
give 5 and [?] dollars a pare and one lasted
a wekes and the other pare a daye
W.S. own got his box Nat got his basket
amd gloves I got my sock and was glad
to get them I have six pare &c
I have nothig more of any importing
so I still remain you obedent
nephew
From J. C. Jarvis
To J. M. Vawter

MSS 10571