Dear unkel I seet my self this morning to drop you a few lines in answer to yours that come to hand a few days since which I was gald to heare from you an to heare you was all well I am not verry well at this time I have been verry unwell for some too weekes but I am better than I have been I hope those lines mo go safe to hand & find you all well & Doing well I have nothing new to write you this time our regt is in a godeeal of confusion

they has been 11 men deserted from our regt in the last ten days an gone to the yankees I think our regt will bust up this spring for we have one of the meinest Cols this side of hell an I wish he was Ded an in hell this morning Lieut Mathias rote you a leter the other day consurning you busness an he will attend to it as soon as he can the man that bought his horse is at home but it can be got as soon as he comes back so we will have it attended to as soon as we can

an I am glad to get a letter from you at any time an I want you to bee shore an write to me often an I will write to you as often as I can an gave me all the news you can I think Ill get to come home this spring on a horse Detail an if I do Ill come an see you Stepp is well an this letter is from me an him we have a guard line a round our camps an I have to go on guard every other day just half the time an I dont

intend to stand it long but you know they is no use in talking but I can do my one thinking reed this to granfather & Mother an tell them to write to me an tell all my folkes to be shore to write to an Ill ans them with pleaure if I live to get home Ill come up an gave you all my opinion a bout this eturnel war so Ill say no more for fear I says to much so fare well to you all for a while

E J. H. [i.e., Pvt Elias J. Hestiler, Co. G, 1st North Carolina Cavalry]
J Stepp

To A. R. Shipman