Camp near Portsmouth Va Dec 1st 1863Dear Sister

Page 1

I now take this opertunity to let you know that I am still in the land of the living and am a great deal better in health than I was when you was at home I started the 25 Nov got to Ny the next morning went to No 6 state st and got my transportation to Balt- imore then crossed over to Jersey and staid there till 7 ½ oclock took the cars to Balt got there the next morning about 4 oclock Staid there till 5 ½ oclock Pm took the boat for Ft Monroe got there the next morning at 7 oc took the boat at 10 oc for Norfolk crossed over to ports Mouth

from there to camp got here Saturday about 9 o clock Theodore came as far as Baltimore with me he cept on to Washington While I was at home there was two men shot in this Regt for disirtion one belonged to co C and the other to this co both drafted men or Substitutes the ones that belonged to this co his wife came to see him two or three days after he was shot she did not know that he was shot till she got to the Co and asked the cook if there was such a man belonged to this co he told her no for he was shot the other day perhaps you can judge how she felt about it perhaps she felt as bad or worse than you did when your yankee went to war Nelson and George Beers was out

Page 3

the Sunday before I started the weather is pretty cold now it froze pretty hard last night the boys had got the tent fixed up pretty good it is raised up about 4 feet and is about 12 feet long and 8 feet wide and a camp stove in it so it is very cumfidible there is some mud here now Gen Grant is doing pretty well now also Gen Mead he has taken severall hundred prisoners lately I have not seen the account but it is in the Portsmouth papers to day I can not think of any thing more this time perhaps I can next time then again meaby this will be all you will care about give my respects to all and rite as soon as you can

from your Brother L. A. Barton
Co K 8 C V Portsmouth Va