Camp Near Sregar Snake Va        (Due to his deafness he could not
January 15, 1863                            understand the name of the place
                                                      probably  Skinkers Neck)

Dear Brothers and Sister & Friends,

I again drop you a few lines to let you know that I am well as common but I am still very deaf.  I can not hear no common conversation at all and I fear that I will never hear good any more. I have nothing of interest to write to you. We are now building winter quarters. We have some of our huts up and will soon have tolerable comfortable houses to stay in. I received a letter from Dr. John and one from Mat also which I read with great pleasure to hear that you was all well. I have heard that they have took up Alf Sims and put him in jail. I wrote home to Mat to send me some clothing by Jordan Peters and it is a fine thing she did not send them for he lost all the things that was sent by him and all the letters. He said that he lost a letter for me. Tell Mat to send me a one pair of pants and one pair of shoes and socks and one pair of gloves by Isham Gilbert or some one else for if I buy them here they will cost me as much again here as they will there and I will have to take just such as I  can get and have no choice in them for we draw clothes by lot and some gets good clothes and some very sorry. Shoes cost 7 to 9 overcoats 13 to 18 shirts 4 and socks 2 to 3 and every thing else in proportion. We have hard living. We get fresh beef and flour and sometimes a little bacon and rye to make coffee but we are on short rations. We drill twice a day. We have battalion drill at 10 and company drill at 2 and dress parade at 5 so you may know that we have but little time to play. There has been two or three cases of smallpox in our regiment but none fatal the colonel sent the companies that had it among them all off in the woods to themselves till they all got well. If you have to go in the army I would like to have you in our company. We have got good officers over us. The men all likes the officers but they don't like Dr. Burton. Joe Barton is our captain now and he is the best officer we ever had. He is good to us (in) every way. If one does a little wrong he looks over it and goes on. I must close for want of space to write. Show this letter to Mat .

So Farewell
CPC McKnight

to L. N. McKnight

I received one letter that Toni Wright brought. He said that the bread that Mat sent got wet and spoiled.