Ross Family Letters, RG
149
December
the 30th 1863
Camp
6th Ala Regt
Dear
Brother
Your
ever kind & welcome letter, brought to me, by the politeness of W P Babbit,
has been received & read with pleasure.
Many thanks to you all for the nice presents sent me, and I am glad to
say that everything came through safe.
We have been for two days enjoying the luxuries of the box, and will
have that pleasure for several days yet. Tell Billy & Fanny that I got the
ground peas they sent me, and that if I can ever get to come home on furlough I
will bring them a nice little present if I can find it on the way. I think that my chance is quite slim for a
furlough this Winter, we have eight (8) men in our company that has not been
home since the commencement of the war and as it takes on an average 40, or,
45days to furlough one man according to their present plan, it will yet take a
long while for it to get through the company.
There is a few furloughs granted without being drawn for, in urgent
cases, sometimes I almost wish that I could hear that everything I have was
going to destruction, so that I could send up an application on that
ground. But I will wait as patiently as
possible, Still hoping that my time to be fortunate in drawing a furlough, will
yet ere long arrive I wrote you a short
letter about one week ago relative to being exchanged for a man in Capt. Sam
Vaughons Co. I would have then written
you a longer letters but had not the tine allowed me. You requested me to write to Capt Vaughon but I am sorry to
acknowledge that I have forgotten the No of his Regt, but if you will (if you
have not already done so) inform him that I would like very much to be
exchanged & transfered to his Co also telling him that my officers are
willing, he can without farther ceremony, arrange such a transfer for me, but
if he had rather hear from me personally in your next please send me the Number
of his Regt. and I will do so, though I hope that he and you together can get
it through without farther delay, for I think that my chance for an exchange is
much better now, that it would be two months in the future. I am very glad to hear that cousin John
Slaughters health is improving, tell him that I answered his letter written to
me, Several months ago, but have not since then heard from him. If you know where John C. Ward is, or what
he is doing, please write it to me as I have heard nothing from him, for along
while, I must for the present close excuse bad writing as my pen is a very bad
one. Now as ever your affectionate Bro
G W
Ross