It is with pleasure that I again take my pen in hand to write a few lines to you, I am well at present and hope that these few lines may find you all the same, I received your kind letter dated November 24, about a week ago, I was glad to hear from you again and hear that you were all well. I was also glad to hear that you enjoyed your visit to Ohio so well» I presume I should of enjoyed myself well if I had been with you, but my visiting is to a stand for the present. I have plenty of company here but they are not the right ones, Uncle you can think of war and read of war and talk of war, but as long as you are not a soldier you will know but little about what war is. they picture out fine things in Papers

How well soldiers fare and so on^ but when the soldier gets what he deserves it will be when money don't make officers: The battles that have been fought are specimens of dicipline: There has already been hundreds of men killed by the means of having poor officers to lead them, and the rebels are getting the best of it: by outfit ting our officers in skirmishes here every few days: We have officers in our Regiment that don't know enough to go in when it rains. The most of then are rich men's sons from the cities and would get lost in a patch of woods a half a mile ' - 'square, this beats any place I ever saw for woods and hills, the health of soldiers here is improving but there is many sick and dying now they seem to regard the death of a soldier as a trifling affair, and v/hen they ( ' find a man dangerously sick they seem to try to hurry him out of the way as soon as possible, this looks strange to tell but it is so and I never once thought that I could- of changed as I have my self. When I first enlisted the first two men that died in the regiment were tent mates of site .^mine and I felt for them as I would for a brother,! but I have seen so much that such things now does not move me.. It is nothing strange to see men killed in our camp by our own men, as it is natural for men to fight.

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- They will fight among then selves if no other way. but I think they will all get enough of it before this war is ended for the rebels have got so that they can make wooden about as well as the Yankee's can: and they are bound to fight it out, there is nothing going on here worth mentioning at present. Gen. Mc Clellan visits us occasionally but says nothing about what he is going to do. Uncle Charles Cook has returned from California, I have not seen him. I heard to day that Uncle William's boys have enlisted. We have very fine weather here at present no snow; we live in our tents this winter 1 cannot think of anymore to write at present so, good by for this time. Please write soon Respectfully Yours;
From CHESTER COVELL

On the bottom of this letter was the following, written by Lyman G. Covell
Monday 16, another beautiful day, cleaned wheat children to S ch/
17th a fine day got up wood, evening to meeting took 10 in my load.
Elder Perky preached he came home with us, is now in bed all well; you
may send this back.