Stevenson, Alabama
                       January 20th 1864
Dear Sister
   Your kind letter of the 10th came to hand
today and I was glad to hear from home once more
it seems to me that I might hear oftener than
I do   there is so many of you.  I received
a letter from Charlie a few days ago
he wanted to know what my advice would
be to him about enlisting and I told him
that he had better not if he can get any thing
else to do   I know that the bounty
is some enticeing to the boys but they
had better let it alone for money is of
no account to a Soldier and more
especially if they
should loose their life by comeing here
then what good does the bounty do them
I would not advise any of my Brothers
to enlist although I have never been
sorry that I enlisted for I have seen a
great deal of the country by being a
soldier   it has paid me if I had
not received any pay and if I had not
enlisted probably I should never
got out of New York State   I also
received a letter from Martha with
yours and in yours I found the money
you spoke of and postage stamps   I did
not need the money but I did the stamps
we cannot get stamps here only as
we have them sent from home so when
you write dont fail to send some in
every letter for if I cant get
them I cant write.  There is $20. Dollars
of Alotment money in Syracuse by this
time for Father   it is over two weeks
since I was paid and there is some
talk of getting paid off again soon.
we have got a pretty nice place now
we are posted about a mile and 1/2 north
of Stevenson on the Nashville Railroad
and we are about as comfortable as
we can be   our house on the bank
of the Road and the door is about 8
feet from our door   we are guarding
a Bridge   there is five of us in our
tent   it is built of boards about
14 feet long and 10 wide   John Heath, John Pollock
myself and 2 others are in the tent and
we live firstrate now for we draw plenty
of rations of every kind   we live mostly
on pancakes coffee 
and meat and sometimes Bread
I have got so I can cook
most any thing and we have the 
tools to cook with   I have got a
hen that I keep in the tent with
me but I think I shall feast on her
soon _____ make a good potpie
of her   write oftener than you
have along back   please
excuse all mistakes and poor
writing   and answer this as soon
as you receive it   from your affectionate
Brother
                  Jas. A. Morrison
Mary A. Morrison