Augusta County: Joseph Alfred Wilson to Bell Wilson, January 21,
1863
Summary:
Joseph writes to his sister about family, his military company, and the weather.
January the 21th, 1863
Salem, Roanoke Co
Dear Sister,
I received yours of the 17th just a few minutes ago I was just in the act of writing to you anyway I perused it with unbounded pleasure & love. But I have not heard a word from home since I left nor feel any ways uneasy about it, for I know Maggie will write when she has an opportunity nor I have never since I have been in the army for I have always considered it my duty to write to her 2 or 3 times to her once. But to acknowledge I do want to hear from her & [unclear: Warler Elmer ]all that I have on earth to care for Bell you seemed [deleted: ] what inclined to think I ought not become dissatisfied in the Army & he contended I know that I just as much to care for as any other man & I know that I have the same privilege to hire a subscribe as they that has done so & more over I love my Wife & child as much & will do as much for them as any other man & would love to remain at home with Them as well as as well as any other man, & I don't know how soon I may be with them & again I may not see them till the war is over. for this reason I have been appointed Assisting Quarter Master of this regiment 14th till it is organized & then I have the best of nine chances out of ten for the appointment of Capt. Q.M. and if I am pleased with it & get the appointment I will [added: remain in servise]
[page 2]
Bell you want me to write to Pete I would
do so with pleasure but know it to [added: be] useless to do so for
I have written to Jacksons several times & none ever reached their destination. Well I must give you the [unclear: points] of the Brigadier
General [unclear: A.G. Jenkens]
Brigade in the first place we were ordered
here encamped a Camp of [unclear: instruction]
everything disarranged everybody
dissatisfied & no nothing you may [added: say] but all I
have to say about it is in the place of it being a Camp of
instructions it a Camp of [unclear: diserfaction] at the best no rules nor nothing as I have said. The Company that have [unclear: going
short] at all times in the [added: day] & night
they even spent by volleys & do just as they please &
one hundred Yankees could come & rout the whole Camp.
The weather is very rough & bad we had a very pretty snow last night it fell about five or six inches deep but there was enough for a foot of snow it rained all day yesterday & consequently it melted. Bob Love is improving very fast I think will be able in the course of a [unclear: couple ] of weeks to join his Company & several others are sick, but I still remain the same old seven & six. I have no news of importance of war to communicate. So I will have to close for the [deleted: pleasant] present.
[page 3]
Give Miss [unclear: Clemmins]
[unclear: my] respects & Mr. [unclear: Brarey]
[added: my] regards & ask him how his arm is get, &
whether he is ready to take another fish
or not, tell him to hold himself in reaching at all times that I may be there any day to fish
& till then the hook I thought I had lost I found in my Coat afterwards & write
often & direct as follows
Lt Jos. A Wilson [deleted: 14th Reg Va Cavalry, Churchville Comp., Roanoke Co, Va] 14th Reg Va Cavalry, Churchville Compy, Roanoke Co, Va
