29th New Jersey Infantry

Item LTR-397

Description

4 page original Civil War soldier's letter written in period ink and war dated.

Camp near Belle Plains, Va
February 21st 1863

Dear Wife,

I again sit down to inform you that I am well at present and I hope by the blessing of God these lines may find you and the children enjoying good health. Let us ever remember that it is to God that we are indebted for life and health and food and every blessing both spiritual and temporal. It is a fine day here today and I hope it is with you for it seems to be more cheerful in fair weather. I got the letter that you wrote me on the 1st of this inst and the one that you wrote on the 8th also and I got another one yesterday the 20th written the 15th. I was glad to hear that you still enjoyed reasonable good health. I answered the letter that you wrote on the 1st and the one that you wrote on the 8th and I have written three since the two first ones had each a fifty cent bill in them. The last one I wrote the last one on the 18th, it had a pencil in it. If you get it, I will tell you all about it. You say Henry Newman is home and that Steward Newman is home to. Well they are among the lucky ones, never mind if God is willing. My turn will come by and by we must keep our courage up and pray to God for better times in the future. Tell Adelia and Albert that pappa sends them two buckets of love. Tell them when they have so much they must give you and Amanda and Malvina a share of it. Tell them they must kiss you all for me. Tell them that pappy hopes to be home before many months to kiss them for himself. Tell Mother Brown and Zilpha and Aunt Zilpha Forton that I send them my best respects and that through mercy and blessing of God I shall be able to address them face to face in the course of a few short months. Give my best respects to all enquiring friends. I have not got any answer from Allen Brown nor Benny yet. I am looking for a letter from both of them. I wrote one to Andrew also. I don’t know of anything new to tell you at present. You said that you heard that we did not get enough to eat – that is false, we get plenty to eat. Our accommodations can’t be here like we could have at home but we get along the best. We have plenty of good pork and we get fresh beef twice a week and where we have had hard crackers we get soft bread now, but I don’t know how long that will last. We get coffee and sugar and some times a little tea. We get potatoes and onion twice a week now and we get rice and molasses and vinegar. Myself and my two partners gave a dollar for a pan to fry in. If we could fare as well otherways as we do for something to eat, we would get along very well. If we shall get as must all the time as my part home and you to cook it and had a good appetite to eat it I think I may get fat. Does your hens lay any yet, how does your pig come on? What does Uncle Wesley ask a load for his wood? Wood is so high if you can get a few loads of him and don’t have to give to much for it, probably you had better do it. But if you have enough at home, you can use your please about getting some. I’ll leave it with you. I will put a 25 ct bill in this for M.L.Pteld if she can get anything that suits for it she can get otherwise she can keep it till I come and see if I have anything to suit her better. Give my love to all of the children and take a share yourself. I must close or I shall not get my letter in the mail today. Write again soon. Give my respects to Eleanor Morris when you see her and Miss Jane. So I will close for this time.

From your ever affectionate husband,

Cornelius Pearce
To Sarah Pearce his wife and children
Amanda A. Pearce
Malvina L. Pearce
Adelia Pearce
Albert L. Pearce

Tell Henry Newman he must write to me. Give my best respects to all.