Augusta County: John Newton Pearce to Lizzie Brown, December 21, 1863

I set down to write you a few lines to let you know that i am well i don't know that this letter will be acceptable but if you think this is worth the time of answering i will be very glad to hear from you i would take a great pleasure in reading your letters i wish this cruel war was over so we could all come home again and enjoy ourselves once more but i would like might well to be at home Christmas So i could come to Staunton i think i could enjoy myself first rate in Staunton but there is no chance of my getting away from here a soldier is worse than a negro used to be we have to get a whole sheet of paper full of writing before we can get home and it is such a lazy life not praising myself for i am a little touched with it myself i have been very hard at work all day getting timber to build a house you must excuse this short letter but i will try and do better next time it is very cold here at this time but we enjoy ourselves first rate we have good quarters and plenty of wood there is not much news here to write if you think this is worth answering i would like to hear from you in a short time so good night