Camp Near Hamilton's Crossing
February 13, 1863

Dear wife

 I this morning take the opportunity of writing you a few line which leaves me well. I have nothing of importance to write to you. I received your letter of the 1st. of Feb. last night which I read with great pleasure for I had not heard from home in about four weeks . I was glad  to hear that you was all well. You stated that you was fixing up to tend a little crop, if you can fire a hand for any reasonable price I think you had better do it and have as much land tended as you can, for you have no other use for what money that you have. You stated that you have swapped off old Tobe and got fifty dollars to boot and that you had received the money that I sent you by Carlisle so you have got enough to hire a plow boy to tend your crop. I could have sent you more money but when I drawed we was on half rations and the boys was all out of money and I loaned out about 25 dollars to them to buy something to eat and then Eb Coggins lost his pocket book and all the money he had, (ten dollars) and I loaned him 15 dollars. We get plenty of flour and beef now and sometimes a little bacon and sugar but we have been without  any rations for four days once since I  have been here. There was a man died in Capt. Kellam's company last night. The boys are gone out to bury him this morning. His name was Monk Frazier. He died with a congestive chill, our Lieutenant Thomas D. Berry is lying  very low with the flu. The settlement boys are all well . I was sorry to hear that little Ema Waits was dead. Frank Bentley is here with us his arm is well and about as good as it ever was. He weighs 160 pounds.  Jackson is well he is out on guard today. Tell old grandsire Stevens howdy for me and that I want to see him very bad. If I could see him I could tell him about some of our hard times and hard marches that we have had but I reckon he knows something about such times as he has tried it in his young days. Tell Martha, Mary, & Susan to write to me for I have never got but two letters from them yet and Karen also. Tell Susan to write as soon as she hears from Lewis and let me know where he is and what company and regt he is in and his post office so I can write to him. Tell Miss Swan that Robert is dead he died sometime in Jan. at Ginny Station. I did not hear what was the matter with him.
 

You say that you have got the prettiest little babe that I ever saw. I think you have given it a name by this time but as you have not I will name it for you. I will call it Eldora. I would be very glad to see it. You don't know how good I could nurse it if I was there but I don't know when I shall ever get to come home again. Tell Miss Phoebe that I thank her very much for her kind little letter and to write again. I will send Louisa a ring of my own making. Tell her to be a good girl and nurse the babe well for me while I am gone. Miss Betty, what is the matter with you I have not heard a word from you yet. I would like to read a letter from you very well. Mat you must excuse me for not paying the postage on my letters for I can not get no stamps. We will have to go out on picket tomorrow when we will be in sight of the yanks. We stand on one bank of the river and them on the other. We can talk to each other but we are not allowed to shoot unless they try to cross. I will close as I  have to go on duty.

to  Martha M. McKnight

Yours   C.P.C. McKnight