Belle Island Va Jan 10th 1864 My Dear Mother Sisters and Brothers

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It is with great pleasure that I again seat myself to write to you I received your letter and Franks yesterday I also got one from you to R A Seaver I wrote you last the 2nd Dec and wrote for a box probably you have got the letter before now and the box is on the way I should written before if I had had any thing to write on If I had been as lucky as the other boys I should been to Annapolis now they were called out and paroled the 27 Dec if 20 more men had gone I should got out I am the only one left now of our company I have not been very well since the 1 Dec my appetite craves something sour drie d apple or some other dried fruit

would do me a great deal of good I hope my box will soon be here I wrote for a vest shirt and stockings dried beef pork coffee tea sugar cheese butter and a number of other things I guess I wi ll have you start another box for I nee d the things bad enough I will give you the name of the things I should like 10 pounds flour 1/2 lb soda 5 pounds sausa ge meat put in a tin box so as to come safe 3 lbs pork 2 lbs java coffee 4 lbs sugar 4 of butter 3 of cheese 4 or 5 lbs dried apple some dried berries or jelly a little bag of salt and some pepper fill up the box with with plain doughnuts and biscuits I should like a pair drawers and some thread Sea ver had a box come through safe it was him that carried Wesley Watts to the house where he died I will have you direct my box the same as Seavers Prisoner of War Belle Island Va care of commiss ioner for exchange of prisoners Flag of truce bo at Fortress Monroe If you get this letter before the 10th of Feb send the box as soon as you can but if not you need not send it I dont think of any more to write now I shall write often as long as I have any thing to write on My best wishes and respects to you all Good ByeThe thread was taken out of your letter try it again put it in the inside envelopeIn case you got my letter of Dec 2nd and sent me a box of what you think I need you need not send another one

Your Son H A Smith