31 December 1863: “I had an eggnog Christmas Eve night and a splendid dinner Christmas day.”

Item description: Letter, 31 December 1863, from James A. Graham to his mother.

18631231_01 18631231_02

Item Citation: From the James A. Graham Papers #00283Southern Historical Collection,The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Item transcription:

Camp 27th No. Ca. Inf’y
near Orange C.H. Va.
Dec. 31st 1863

My dear Mother

I received the box of provisions you sent me by Walter Thompson the day before Christmas and am very much obliged for it. He was delayed in Richmond about five days and I expected most of the things would be spoilt, but the weather was cold and prevented them from spoiling. Nothing in my box was hurt at all and very little in any of the boxes.

I had an eggnog Christmas Eve night and a splendid dinner Christmas day.

The collars you sent me fit very well and are the very thing I wanted.

I am especially obliged for the butter and lard, for it is a very hard matter to get anything of that sort about here.

I would have sent brother Joe part of my box, but he moved camp before it came and I did not know where to find him. I heard that he had moved down below Gordonsville about fifteen or sixteen miles from here and I had no way to send it to him.

I wrote to Father, by Walter Thompson day before yesterday requesting him to send Alex back when Major Webb comes, but I expect you will get this before you get that as Thompson expected to stop in Richmond a day or two. Please ask father to send my coat by Alex if he has received it from Royston. I wish you would send me some sausage meat by Alex if you have killed hogs. The butter and lard you sent me will last some time yet as there are only two in my mess.

I am in as good health as I ever was and am getting so fat that I hardly know what to do with myself. I am fleshier than I ever have been before.

The weather has been pretty bad for some time past either freezing or raining all the time. It has been raining pretty steady ever since before day this morning and is getting almost as muddy as Hillsboro generally is at this time of the year. I would like very much to be at home to-morrow to eat New Year’s dinner with you. I hope you had a pleasant Christmas and will have a pleasant New Year.

There is no news. Love to all. Write soon to

Your affectionate son,
Jas. A. Graham

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