Brandy Station Virginia Jan. the 20th 64

Brandy Station Virginia Jan. the 20th 64

My dear AuntYour kind and welcome letter of the 10th of this month came to hand last night and I was truely happy to hear that you were all well. we are still laying in camp at Brandy Station and I think that we will stay here all winter if the Johnny Rebs. stays awaywhich I hope they will for I would dislike very much to leave our comfortable log shanties while it is so cold. I am glad that Uncle George saw Uncle James Dennis it is true that I have grown very much since I came to the army but my comrades tells me that I am as _______ and _________ looking as ever (one line has become illegible due to a crease in the paper. The second word may be "young".) I recieved a letter from Wesley week before last in answer to one I wrote to him sometime before at the time of writing he was at Camp Chase and he was well and hearty and he says that he likes soldiering very well. if he only takes care of his health I have no doubt but what he will get along first rate but a soldier will never serve his term of three years if he neglets his health for disease kills more soldiers than the bullets does. Our Regiment has now been in the service 17 months and not one man has been killed but scores have died by the fell destroyer disease. the weather has been very changeable for the last week or two consquently the health of the Regiments camped around here is not improving and indeed I fear that it is getting worse. several members of our company is sick Hector Hart (I am not sure the first letter of this name is correctly copied) from our neighborhood is very low with the chronic diarrhea I fear that he will not get well again. oh it makes me feel so very sad to see my comrades sicken and die so far away from home with no Father or Mother Brothers or Sisters to sooth their pain or to cheer them in their last moments when death the king of terrors is fast approaching to part them forever from Earth and loved friends. I have not had a letter from Butchers for a long time although I have written one or two letters to them I hope they are all well.

I hear that the draft has been put off again until the first of next month think they had better give it up for a bad job. I would like very much to get home to see the friends but I guess there is no chance for me the married men gets the furloughs I believe I will have to get married before I go to war again so that I will have a chance of getting home. I think Ann Jane Butcher's (I can not be sure of the correctness of the first name just given. It looks like a three letter name, the first letter certainly is "A", but there is nothing that could be taken for a "T" at the end, or else it might be "Aunt") letter must have miscarried or else the one I sent her was for I have answered all the letters I have recieved from her but I must write her another one or else she will think hard of me for she will suppose that I have neglected to answer her letter. there is a report in the papers that the rebels are preparing to move their capital from Richmond to Columbia Georgia I do not know whether there is any truth in the report or not. I think if they dont move themselves before next summer we will be apt to move them in a hurry We have easier times this winter than we had last for we have not so much guard duty to perform. perhapse you would like to know how we pass the time well I will try to tell you we go on picket guard about once every three weeks and stay there 3 days at a timewe then return to camp and pass the balance of the time until the next picket day a sitting by the fire reading newspapers and talking about home and the war and other interesting subjects. There is six of us boys lives in my shanty let me introduce them to you Isaac Desellems, John Gilson, Thomas Russell, Alexander Grafton Mark Lewis and myself. we have prayer meeting in our house or shanty every night and once every sabbath day. This letter leaves me in the best of health (for which I am very thankful) and I hope that in arriving at its destination that it may find you all enjoying the same good health tell William to write to me soon I believe I wrote to him last give my love to Uncle George and the children and accept my love and best wishes for yourself please write whenever you can and direct as before please excuse all mistakes and bad writing for I have written in haste I will now close but I will ever remain your affectionate Nephew David CloseTo his dear Aunt Rachel Dunbar