New Iberia La
                                      Dec 17/63
Sister Kate
     Your letter of the 28th
Nov I received this after noon and
and it pained me to hear of
our Sisters Death I was glad that
you did not wait for me to
write. I wish you would write as
often as once a week and I will
write as often as I can I know
you would write often if you know
how much good your Letters do
me I answered the Letter that mammas
likeness was in and yesterday I Had
mine taken to send to her and I
will send it to you in this Letter for
her and will send some more as
soon as I can get to New Orleans to
you and Mag. I wrote a letter
to [illegible in original] Last week and not knowing

how to direct it I sent it to Jane
to send to her Kate I received my
commission about 2 weeks ago as
[2?] lieut and feel quite proud of
it as I won it for good conduct before
Port Hudson I was in command of
the company in the charge of the
14th June and Genrl Payne then
in command of the Brigade rec-
onended me for promotion it is
easy to get promoted if you have
Political friends but mine came
of itself and makes it worth
more to me than if I was
President of these U.S. for I am
satisfied that I have earned it
or I would not have got it
Kate you must keep up your courage
this war cant Last for ever and
I think that it has got its death blow
but Kate I shall try and do my
duty and if I have to go under

it shant be with a ball in
my back I have so far faced them
and shant turn now I wish
that it was ended but am willing
to stay till the last Reb has been
drove from the country
I am sorry that sol has left
                                              me
you. you must be quite loneso
all alone I think that I can get
a furlough this spring and if
I do I will come and see you
if Mamma has gone to York
state you had better send the
likeness to her and I will send
you one as soon as I can get
it taken my health is good
and was glad to hear that you
and the children were well
yyou folks in the north don't
know what it is to suffer I
have seen men here that has
owned large Plantations here a working

for a dollar a day to get rations
for their families we have
stript the country here of every
thing and if the army Leaves
here they will have to starve
of follow it we are feeding a good
many fmailies of woman and children
now while their Husbands are fighting
against us tell mamma to have
some one write to me for her if
                                              er
she goes east and I will answ
the Letter and write as often
as you can give a kiss to all the
children for me and write if
they go to school and who teaches
Remember me to Mrs Vantyle
and all the rest of the folks
that enquire about me.
Give my Love to mamma if she
is with you and write soon
from your Brother Jim to Kate