My Dear Sister,
Yr letter was duly received
yesterday which I’ll answer by tomorrow’s mail as I have holi=
day this evening. I was on duty at the Guard House when
yr letter was handed to me, & so I was not able to read it
for some time, I got very impatient to open it. I was put
on duty yesterday morning at nine oclock & was relieved
this morning at ten, it rained the whole time, I stood eight
hours in as hard rain almost as I ever saw, it came down upon
me about right but I did n’t get very wet as I had on on very ^’a’
gum overcoat, & did not sleep at all before three oclock,
except nod[d]ing a little standing up. I came home where I
slept a little between three & five. I cd have slept a little at
at the Guard House, but it was such a dirty place & besides
I heard it was infested with a certain “Breed of Varmits”
which I did not like much & ther^’e’fore I did n’t attempt to sleep,
by the way Sister, I wish you wd send me a fine tooth
comb by the first orppotunity, for there is no tellings what
accident might happen in a life of this sort. I fully expe
expected to to ^’have’ taken cold yesterday, but escaped & don’t feel the
effects of it now atall, I slept nearly all the morning.
I’ve just finished dinner, we had quite a variety today, had
“Beef st^’e’ake, onions & potatoes, the st^’e’ak was very good, only a
little tough. I eat my last biscuits this morning for break-
fast. I warmed them over every day for our mess, the cakes
[page 2]
& ham are nothing like out yet, I enjoy them very much.
I was coming up from the Ferry Monday^’when’ I met Cousine Albert
Pendleton, I heard some body call him Cap. Pendleton, &
then spoke to him & told him who I was, he seemed very
glad to see me, told me where I he was quartered & invited me
down to see him, he said he had been trying to find me out
ever since he’d been here but cd not, he said he would call
to see me if he cd find time, but he is so busy all the time
& is quartered so far from me that I’m afraid I will not be able
to see much of him, I like him very much.. I met with
Thos. Marshal yesterday from Orange, who is Pa’s first cousin
I believe, he seems to be a very nice fellow. I’ve not made
Col Hill’s acquaintance but intend doing so the first opportunity
he heard I was here & told Cap. Murray that he wanted
to make my acquaintance. W[e]’ve gotten rid of our rowdy
neighbors now at last & we now have the whole church to
ours^’e’lves, each man has a whole pew to himself…Jimmy [James G.]
Pettus gets along very well & seems to be very well satisfied,
I am with him a good deal, he has his bed nex^’t’ to mine.
Jim Hackett does n’t like this place at all, he expects to
go H home as soon as he hears from Mr. Hackett, he has n’t
joined our Co. & I reckon he can get off very easily. Cap. M.
got a letter from Jno Hibbs, in which he said that Henry
Francisco spoke of returning, Henry had better stay home
for he will not be received into our Co now, after acting as he
has done. I reckon a good many like Henry will come on
now to keep out of the malitia [militia], I hope Chas. Jones will be drafted
in the malitia…..I heard yesterday through a letter to Henry
Childes that Cit Walthall was coming to Join us, I hope he will
[page 3]
certainly come. I wd be very glad to see him.. I received
a long letter from Pen this morning, he was very well, &
wrote to him by Monday’s mail.. Monday was my washing
day, Cousine Dock, Henry Chiles, Marcelus & myself went down
to the river to wash, I know it would make you laugh to see
Cousine Dock washing his shirts, I do my ironing with a
smooth rock. I have a little sewing to do sometimes.
Everything is very quiet here. I hear no attack talk of an
attack upon this place now, I believe the Yankees have conclu-
ded to starve us out, I don’t think they could do that very easily
for we have ^’a’ good deal of Beef on hand yet. News is
very scarce here now with us, I’ve heard of nothing new since
I wrote last… I reckon Mr. Cullen tells some wonderful things
does he not? You said you thought Mr. Cullen was very black
well I’m nearly if not quite as black as Mr. Cullen.
Cousine Dock says you must write ^’to’ him & Henry, says he wd’ve
written to you before this, but it takes all his spare time ^’in’ eating
& sleeping. A good many of our men are sick with mumps
measles & colds, twen^’ty’two are on the sick list to day. Jno Thom-
as has the measles, but is not sick much, don’t let his wife
hear of it as it might frighten her unne^’ce’ssarily. I must
bring my letter to a close. My best love Mr. Thompson & family,
Mrs. Cammack, Miss Daisy, Miss Lute Payne, Henry. Cr. family
all at Aunt Cy^’n’thias, all of my inquiring friends & all of the dear
ones at home. I will write to Aunt Sue if I have time. Tell Pa I
wd send him the Sun but we do nt get it now at all, we do n’t get any
northern mail, the bridges above here on the Baltimore R. R. have
been bur^’n’t. Your must ^’write’ again very soon to yr devoted
& most Aff Bro. Ed.
P. Edloe. Jones
MSS 13407
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