Jonas H. Roe December 19, 1863

No. 9		Clear Creek Camp
		East of Vicksburg
		Miss
Dear Wife.		Dec. 19th 1863

I feel truly thankful to our heavenly Father this morning for another opportunity to inform you + our Dear Children that my health is still improving I wrote a Letter to you Dated Dec 11th from Natchez Miss. No 8 which informed you of our scout up to that date a short time after I sent that Letter to the Office we were ordered out on pursuit or to ???? we were soon in our saddles and mooving North about 18 miles from whare we started from at nine oclock at night we came in sight of the enemy They were strongly posted by a Bridge + the night being very dark + the enemy having a number peices of Cannon + went having along thought it best not to attack them in the night by morning the enemy had retreated + consequently we could get not fight out of them. They were determined not to fight us at all unless they had the advantage of ground and greatly outnumbered us From what I have seen of the southern Shivalry I have a poor opinion of their fighting qualities the northern soldier is by far the best fighter. We got back to our old Camp in the morning of the 17th + found two Letters one from you and the other from N.J. our Jersey friends are all well on the 18th I received another Letter from you dated Dec 3 + No 5 I was glad to learn that you + our dear children were well +c. You stated that you were happy to think that my time was as near out They are making desperate efforts to raise Veteran volunteers + perhaps you are some fearful that I will volunteer I want you to be perfectly satisfied in that subject If I live until my present term of enlistment expires I will go home to stay I will not again take the field on any conditions whatever I can get a commission at any time in a Black Regt but I will not receive one at all It is a beautiful + a very rich country down about Natchez + it is much warmer their than what it is here we have not had any snow here this winter but it is pretty cold some times it has rained a considerable of late The health of the Soldiers generally is good John Allen arrived here just in time to go down on the Natchez scout he is well When I draw my next pay I will sent you by Express 45 or fifty dollars if nothing happens please write often tell Emily and Alice Ann to write some + send it in the same Envelope with yours
I am as ever your affectionate Husband
Celina Roe                                              J.H. Roe

N.B. Tell me in your next Letter how you get along for Pork + how the stalk all looks + especially old John + what the prospect is about wintering them through +c. Tell what the price of corn is +c -

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