#63


		Stevenson Ala Nov. 19th / 64
Dear wife I have been waiting all day for a
letter from home but none has come yet I
am well as usual and at my post as as
Company Clerk  I think I have been very lucky
for Since I left of cooking it has rained
almost incessantly the Streams raised so
the bottom lands were all overflowed the
Detachment I was in had to work in
the mud and water up to their knees
the water was nearly four inches Deep
in their tents while I have been in 
good comfortable quarters where my
health will not be Exposed I shall not
be able to Send home quite So much money
as I Shall not be earning any more than
than my regular wages while before my
pay for cooking amounted to quite a little
item So I was Enabled to Send home more
than my government wages while now I
shall have to keep part of my wages
for my own use but I feel that the
hand of God has been over me in 
answer to the prayers of my wife and
children I have got over the worst
of my hurry about writing as I have

the company Books pretty much all posted
Some days I dont have much to do but Sit
in the office and Scribble or do nothing as
I please Some days I have enough to do to
keep me running all day but Nov. 20th well
I Broke of writing yesterday in Something of a
hurry by an order for me to figure up the
rations belonging to the Several Detachments
that were out to work you see I have to
Start at a moments notice. John is getting some
better you need not fret about me having
any words with him for I shall not nor
have anything to do with him and that saves
all Difficulty I think Old Abe is Elected all
right so our country is safe for another
four years and by that time this war
will be all settled up you may thank
God that our Company was not down to
the front to go on Shermans great Raid for
there is no Communication from here to
the rest of the regiment So if we had
been down there you would not have
heard from me for a long time and
I could not get any letters from home
either. I think there is every prospect
of our two companies Staying the rest of

			Nov. 19, 64


our time on this railroad Between Chattanooga
and Nashville or on the North Western and
Nashville Railroad and if we do we shall in
all probability never see an armed rebel while
in the service. drunkenness is almost a
universal Sin in the army it seems to me
that any thinking Man would be reformed
by coming into the army but it is not
so men that were sober men at home take
delight in making themselves as much
worse as they can they little think they
are Making themselves miserable and
preparing themselves a drunkards grave
I for one shall live to improve on the
Sin and folly of others. kiss the
children for me and take a share of
them for yourself I must say good bye
for the present
		From your affectionate
to his wife        Husband SAHowe
     	 X     X    X    X
  I will enclose five Dollars in
Confederate Moment you can keep
it for a Momento