A Letter from Charles A. Bunnell to his brother, William H. Bunnell, November 30, 1864


Page 1

Nov 30th /64

Dear Brother

   I take my pen to let you know that
I am well and hope this will finde
you the saim. I received a line
from you some time ago but have
not had time to wright for this
military keeps one bisy and I must
wright to Nanke once a week. We
have not mutch news hear. Thare
is some of the rebs coming in evry
day Nate James got 3 of them
yesterday to come in at his ( ??)
post as he was on picket Rosco
Valentine got one a few days
ago. I have been on picket several
times but have not had the
fun to bring any in but have
talk with them some. They think
the war must stop soon they
are sick of it but you know

Page 2

More about the ware than we doe
But we have lirned something
of camp life I like it but it
wold not suit you. You must
never inlist and if you are
drafted leave your teath at home
when you are inspected for
you cannot stand soldering
I am tufer than you and I
Know about what you can stand
And I know what we have to
Stand so keep out. I think
I shal go through all wet and
dry and come out right but
we can not tell but we have but once
to diy so gods will
be dun my trust is in him
if we never see each other on
earth we will in heven
so I doe ot worry abuot
what is to come. But a word
on bisness and then I close
I want you to see that Nank

Page 3

has enough to eat and ware
I want you to see her as often
as once a month and I want
you to see whare my sleigh is
let Foard have it in cair and to
use if he wants it but not let
it go to any body else besure and
get it away from on Barr hill.
you asked how Foard and I
stood I owed him five dollars
on the corn and the (barns, farms?)
he was to take and if my haf
half of the pork buter and
crops did not keep the
cows out and pay him
for his work I am to pay
him. He can tell when the
time is out thar is tax to
pay allso so I cannot bing (?)
our bisness in dollars and
cents but he will doe the
thing that is right when
I come home. That is all

Page 4

I think of today. You must
Wright to me as often as
you can I doe not have mutch
time to write so you must
not feal hard. I have ot
got my pay yet and doe
not no when I shal and
if you have got it to spair
untill I get my pay I wold
like you to send me five
dollars if you send it send
green backs. Give my best
respects your wife and
folks so no more

from your
    Brother
           C.A. Bunnell

   To Wm. H. Bunnell

Charles E. Bunnell, the great-grandson of Charles A. Bunnell and the contributor of this letter, comments:

"This is an interesting letter in that it tells a lot about everyday life on the farm and in the field. The warning to his brother to avoid being drafted is also intriguing. Note that as of November 30th Charles had not been paid though he had enlisted on September 2nd of that year."

I have also received very nice scans of this letter, but so far I do not have them in the correct form to display on this site.


File created: April 8, 1999.
File revised: September 5, 2002; December 28, 2002.
All rights of this letter reside with:
Charles E. Bunnell
9318 Farewell Ct.,
La Plata, MD 20646
(301) 392-3899
The material is used with his permission.