Letter to a Civil War soldier

Uniontown Jan 15 1863

Dear Frank

I received yours of the 9 to day and was very glad to hear from you once more as it is the first news we have had from your regiment since the 30 of Dec you were then under marching orders and we did not know where you were all this time I was expecting to hear from you away down south but I thank the Good being you are still on this side of the Rappahannock and in good health you say you have not got an answer to any of your letters which you have written since you were there I have answered every one of them but may be I do not put enough on them you have never given me your Division or Brigade as to money I think if nothing happens I have enough to last me until the first of April and pay my rent besides so you need not be uneasy about that but if you are paid I want you to send every cent home only what you need for you will only lose it there) Mrs Moore is going to send Abe a box and if there is any thing you need

I want you to let me know. and I will send it to you I suppose some paper and envelopes will not come amiss and she wants to know the exact way to direct your letters so the box will not get mislaid. I have rented the same house I am in for next year [Skile's??] did not notify me to leave it and when I paid my rent they asked me if I were going to stay in it another year I told them it was owing to what arrangements could be made they said I could have it at the same price I had last year without security or writings so I told them I would keep it your father talks of going to the army in the spring on a money making expedition but what I do not know Geo. was here the other day he said he was going to Beverly again he wanted me to Board [J?T?udie] till spring but I told him I could not do it for it was as much as I could do to do my own work and take care of my children but I did not tell him the main reason which was the pay Andy Prentice told me he had written to you some time ago and you had not answered it David Porter has got back from the army if you know anything of Thomas Cole let me know

I believe I have given you all the news I can think of now only we are well and I hope you are the same, the smallpox are prevailing to such an extent in Harrisburg that they are going to move the legislative to Philadelphia I want you o get vaccinated for fear yours has run out and if you move back to Washington where there are good dentists I want you to have those teeth of yours attend ed to as I am told you suffer a good deal with toothache which must be very disagreeable you say you get no news I suppose it is well enough to keep what there is from the army for it is not very encouraging there is a talk now of the Western States seceding from the eastern cutting the Union in three the Illinois legislature has appointed a committee to wait on the Governor to ask him to recall the Illinois troops and if he refuses means are to resorted to to force him to comply but how it will end nobody knows but I will send you some papers by mail and will try and get you a good lot and send in [illegible] remember your own dearest and nearest friend [Lib??]

I will enclose a stamp and paper and envelopes in this and I want you to write I forgot to tell you that Sallie can climb up to a chair and stand