Letter to Sarah Garibaldi (Poor), 1863

Scope and content:

Written from "Camp Winder." Letter mentions that unit is under marching orders and general news.

Language:
English
Other descriptive data:

Camp Winder

Dear Wife:

I have some money to send you but I am afraid to risk it in this letter. The next safe opportunity I will get I shall send you sixty dollars again. If you see a cow worth buying you may buy it provide that mother has feed enough to keep her and if she wants to sell her little coult you can buy it too, and give her the price that she would get from anybody else.

Dear I have no news to tell you at this time, only that we all are enjoying as good health as we ever did. We haven't had any snow here yet, the first snow I have seen this winter it was after we had crossed the blue ridge in coming from the valley, and it didn't stay on the ground twenty four hours but we didn't have any snow here yet, on the contrary is warm enough here now, to go on our shirt sleeves, and it has been so all the time for nearly the whole of this month. But we have had right smart rain here in this month and when it wasn't rayning, it was clear and pretty weather, and warm.

We are under marching orders all the time. We are keeping a day's ration cooked ahead all the time and last night was renewed again, we were expecting to march away from here this morning but we are here yet, and it may be that we will stay here yet for weeks, and it may be that we will have to leave here in an hour from now, so that you see we don't know anything about it. It depend altogether upon the movement of the enemy. The prospects are good here for another fight, the yankees are making appearance before Fredericksburg some time but it is not known whether they are in for good or not, although the papers says that they have already crossed the river but it is northern news, and it aint so, for we haven't saw anything of them yet, but it is the general belief among the camp that they will not try to cross here anymore. The troops are removed from here little at time to other fields, and it may be that the next fight will be somewhere else.

You must send me little soap by the next chance you get, (hard soap I mean) we have to pay dollar per pound here and can't get it at that. You will please to send me little thread black and white if you please, provide you can get it. I have nothing more to tell you at present, but to remain your affectionate husband untill death.

Please direct to Mr. John Garibaldi

Let this direction be a permanent one untill I tell you to direct your letters some where else.

Mrs Sarah A.V. Garibaldi

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