Bradford Sparrow to Parents and Brothers

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Letter No 15Dec. 18th 1863Brandy Station Va.Parents & Brothers;

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I take my pen once more to inform you of my safety from all accidents belonging to war. I rec'd you letter No. 15 the 10th my health is still good but I am not so tough as before I was sick. I feel pretty well & my appetite is good & I gain in fresh, but I lack of strength I cant run fast nor [] any for I am so clumsey that I fall down if I under take it. you wished to know what I should say to advise large that is something that I did not thinkof getting this winter, but of course I should take one if I could get it, I dont think I could get a discharge unless I bought me, I dont allow myself to get home sick ever & never have been except when I was sick. I like living out

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here better than I do the business, that I should like well enough to give up & wash for Captain Pitken if I could. About the postage on those mittens, I did not have to pay anything, when you sent them you wrote that you did not know how much the postage would be, & I wrote you that it was 10 cts, because that there was stamps on the wrapper to the amount, you may send some stamps when you write again. H. Dyse & Leen. Davis are in 2nd regt, I saw them a short time ago, they look full as healthy as when at home Dyse looked fat & tough but I dont know but it was about. J. Harrington & W. Chandler & Le. Camp have enlisted, but Leo Shaw has seen enough of war, I went to see Mr. Bishop day before yesterday he was sick, with a cold &

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threatened with a fever, the Dr. was doseing him with Lobelia he gave me a blank of the power of an attorney, he was not able to pill it out, if I can get the Lieutenant to fill it out in time I will send it in this letter. I see H. Olmensted the same day, when we cans back into this camp from the last campaign we were ordered to fix up for winter we have just got fix up or nearly so & now they talk of moving back to Washington. I suppose it is on account of the mens enlisting & going home on for laughs so as to weaken the army, or else get nearer Washington so that it will not cost so much to to supply the army, we have some cold weather I here & some war on days, yesterday was cold & rainy everything was covered with ire to day is pleasant. I think you

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you sold your hog well I think you have been here key with your butter & pork this year, there was a lot of express boxes come to the boys yesterday, come to see the pies cakes roll out it made me hungry, but the cape sheath of all war a mess of fried liver. one fellow gave me some sweetened nut cakes, they relished well to top off my breakfast with.


Christmas Afternoon Dear Parents once more I will try to finish this letter, where I stoped I was suddenly ordered to fall in & go out on a [] that lasted until dark, the next morning I was detailed to go on picket & I was gone 3 days & a 1/2 while expect to ed to be gone only one, & I had just come in from picket but one day before, the 3 day picket, & one day after the 3 day picketing I was detated again. I came in to day & as I was about to commence writing I had a letter handed me from you in which I learned that you had missed of getting are important letter form me. next sheet

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One that I wrote when I first returned to this camp from the campaign across the Rapidan to tell you that I was not hurt nor in an engagement. I wrote all about it in the letter was lost, we started thanksgiving day morning & was gone 8 days. I also wrote for a box & had just begun to look for it here when I got gone letters. I should wrote again before this time if I had not been so busy a building a house for winter & doing so much picket duty, & am other reason why I did not write was because I thought that if you knew that I got back as I told you in that letters, from that campaign all right you would not worry about me. I knew that Ira had wrote that I was well. I had got my thing

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that you sent by Mr. Bishop before I wrote I got them the same day the march ended he came to see me that afternoon which was about two miles. I went back with him & got them, he had had them near a fortnight before he saw me on account of the march, the eatables he eat up, he got in a fame pinch & went without eating from morning till night, & thought he had got to do without another day so he ate them up, he give me a bottle of preserved straw ferries that had got unseated at lost their juice I put in some sugar & made some nice preserves, all the things you sent came, in the right time, the boats are a complete fit & I think a good pair, the shirt are also nice, I never have worn them, you remember that I wrote sometime ago about buying some stripes & severity out, when I wrote last I did not know that we should they here

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long, so I can eluded to have a box of cheese & a spider & a few eatables sent just what I could take care of now just for the sake of getting a spider sooner that was all, but now that you did not get the letter I should like to have you send a what you have for me in Ira's box. as you spoke of if it has not been sent, he has been [] on the comeing of my box as much as I for he hoped there would be something for him, I will put in a list of what I should like to have sent either with Ira's things or alone & if it would not be to much trouble I wish you would pick up two or three 100 lbs of butter & cheese & send it out it will pay well. I would not have more than 150 lbs is a box, the quicker it comes the butter, in this letter you will get a power of an Attorney to draw my state pay, when I was paid off I rec'd $40, but I

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did not know that I could get a check till it was to late, & I did not think it best to send by mail then & so I have kept it, when I send it I will let you know, here is a list of something that would like, a spider just large enough for one to use, have it light, a hatchet about a third heavies than yours a coffee pail hold about a little over a quart, tallish & smaller tat the bottom, with a bail & side handle & cover with the shoped like this figure, just alittle might of a spout so that, the rim of the coves will almost over it up tin pail with cover & half full of lard pocket kercheif, some good lining some cough medicine, 5 or 6 quarts of flour, & some Indian meal with 2 dozen eggs packed into it & Ira wants a log an some soda, , some sauceage meat 15 lbs direct apple apple sugar enough to sweeten it some [] turnovers, & nut cakes, & some butter & cheese if you dont send some by it self, some sage to go on fresh beef, if some honey, mustard, a few pies & both apple & mince. I have paper & envelopes a plenty but you may put in as much as you please, send some stamps, I will try & write again soon. I did not [] you. I will close by wishing you merry Christmas & happy New Years


B. P. Sparrow

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