(San Antonio Texas
			(Dec 29th 1865
Dear Wife
	        I now seat myself to write a
fiew lines to you in answer to yours of Nov
25th & 28th which i have just recieved to night
they found me well. and i hope when this
reaches you it will find you all enjoying the
same good health. i can tell you that i
was glad to get some letters again for it
has been a long time since there has been
any mail for our regiment. i cant tell what
is the matter for the stages run here twice 
a week regular.
		There was quite a lot of sanitary
stores came for our regiment to day. there was
about thirty barrells of crout and pickles and
some dried apples. and a lot of books and
papers for the chaplain to give to the boys
but they are all discouraged so bad that nothing
will content them. there has been so much
style put on for some time back that the
boys have got out of patients and they will not
stand it any longer and after the first of
next month i expect they will refuse to do
any duty. there was a general inspection
yesterday and the boys all come out looking 
the worst that i ever saw then but the
officers did not say anything to them. in
one company they give the boys blacking
for their boots and when they came out
the captain ask them why they did not
black their boots. they told him that it would
not pay. and in another company there
was one sargeant went around and gave the
boys blacking and another seargeant followed
him and gathered it all up and sold it
for bread. he thought that we needed
something to eat worse than anything else.
		There was a large wedding
here last Wednesday night near our
camp. it was a daughter of the richest
man in this city our band went
over and seranaded them about ten
oclock and then part of them went
back and played for a dance. Lem was
there with three more of the band. i
presume it cost the man over one

thousand dollars. but he was able
to pay that and then not feel it
much.
	Our major has just got
back from the north and he thinks
that we will get out of the service in
a fiew weeks but it may be that he just
talks so to content the boys. but we cant
believe anything without we see it ourselves.
		I was on guard last night
and it rained a very little but i passed
off the time very well for all the time i
was on post i was killing rats.
	       I spent the lonesomest christmas
this year that i ever saw in my life
and i expect that new year will go the
way. for a person might just as well
stay in camp as to go into the city unless
he wants to get drunk. for the citizens are
not much more than helf civilized here
only a fiew of them. and then another
thing we are all out of money and
not much signes of our getting our pay
soon as i can see.
	          We have to muster for our
pay next Sunday. and then there will 
be six months pay due us.
		Lord Wellington thinks it
would be a shame to turn all of these
men out of door this winter. he thinks
that we would all freeze to death. but
i would risk myself if they will let me
go home. but himself he knows that
he cant get one or two hundred dollars
a month and go dressed up every day
as he does here. if you should see
him walking acrossed the parade ground
you would think it was Major General
Grant. the boys are all well from our
place now i must close for this
time you must write as soon as
you get this and not wait for me to
get home. no more at present but
remain your faithful husband

		Wm Eaegle.

E.A.E.