No 15 Alton Oregon Co Mo. Jan 20 '63 
My Deares Mary:  I am again writing in my tent to my loved one;  I do not know which I enjoy best to write to you or read one of those dear letters, so full of womanly love & devotion.  I feel happy in either case, I am very well although I have Just passed through the hardest march since I left you.  I rained Tuesday night 13th we started from Camp Chase on Wednesday morning, it rained all day, & snowed in the after part of the night, we slept without tents in the snow, the next day we lay in camp.  Our march from that place was a cold one & on frozen ground, we all stood the trip well in fact it seems that we are becoming so inured to hardship, that we can spread a blanket on the frozen ground & 3-4 over us & sleep well.  I received yours of Jan first, on Sunday evening. the same eve we came here.  I think I enjoy reading your letters better than to write one for I read them over often.  I received the $5.00 But now my dear I expect you will think hard of me when you learn the way I used it, but I will explain.  W. B. Butler has been sick a long time & was about getting his discharge, & had but little money to bear his expenses.  Gregg owed him some.  He took Gregg's sword & sold it to a lieutenant on time. & there were some others owing him he gave me the notes &c to collect. & I let him have the $5.00.  I regreted to do so, but, I assure you that a sick man away from home & especially a soldier neds money.  I only regrett it only on your account for I know that you needed it yourself.  But I belie I never asked you to forgive me any thing but what you did it..  My dear girl how anxious I am to see you once more. O that this foolish & wicked rebellion was over.  I am tiered of it already, & the prospect for its termination is no better than it was a year ago.  I do not like the way this thing is carried on now we have been in an "enemies land" as they call it for months & not allowed to destroy anything, every pig we kill or ox or anything else we take to eat, we take
