Letter from Oscar Allen to his cousin Hetty Brackney

Benton Ky Jan 19th AD 1863

Dear Cousin Hetty Brackney

Your letter came to hand about a week ago. I was glad to hear from you and happy to hear that you was well. I am well att present and harty as a buck but cant jump quite as far. I hope that you are the same. Well I will tell you about the deep snow in old Ky what has binn a very deep Snow hear it commenced wendsday about midnight and snoed all that day and the next day and all night and the next day and all that night and the next day till Noon I began to think that it was not agointo never quit Well the snow is over two feet deep in the Shallerst place the folks in kentucky says that is is the deepest snow that thay ever seen in Ky you just otto see us catch rabits thare is one rabit to evry fence corner we scar them out of thate nests thay will give one jump then we pick them up I am siting at a privet house one of our boys is sick he has bin sick about three weeks that is the resen I am hear wate on him he has had the mesels and something else I have forgot but I am about run out of gass it is robert gouge that is sick I rote James a letter but I have not got any anser yeat that is the reason that I did not ansure your letter any sooner than I did I would like to see you very well (now turn over)We have very good times hear at this Bridge and I thin k that we wil stay hear all winter I hope so any how O Yes we are a gointo draw our Spondulex to morow I would like to come home then and see all of the folks but the Capton says that thare shant another man come home I will try and git around him if I can he is a truly good Capton I think he will let me come I will give you the number of our regment it is the 118 regment Company I O.V.I. an dour capton's name is Somers We have very good grub crackers and beens rice sugar coffee and old Sow belly about forty years old I gess that it was sum that the Soldiers had in the revolutionary war one of the boys that brot the meat said that he wanted a guard to keep the buzards off But we had sum good meat the other day three of the boys concluded that thay must have sum fresh meat so thay went out and came in with Sunthing it had neather hide nor hair on we oculd not tell what it was So we coocked a fine lot of it when we was eating one of the boys that helpt to kill it ast if we noed what for meat that was we told him sheep or hog then thay laft and said you are badly fooled it is goat that was the first goat I ever eat So I must close my letter So no more for this time I send my love and best to you and all of my friends and write as soon as you can and I will try an dwrite sooner than I have this time I remain your affectionated Cousin Oscar D. Allen

Direct as befor to
Kenton Kenton Co. Ky to his cousin
Farewell for this time
Hetty Brackney