Falmouth Va. Jun 3d [1863]

Dear Friend H
I take my
pen in hand this morning
to answer your last letter
we ar geting along nicely.
you had aught to of seen
us the other night we found
two horses lost we took
them and saddled them
up and had a splendid
ride. and kept them a day
or two they belonged to a
sutler when he com after
them we made him pay
us for keeping them.
night before last Smith
Harris and I took our horses
and went down to Bell Planes
[page 2]
and rode round most
all night it was a
splendid night just
warm enough and rearl
light. they ar having a
great time up to Divisions
Head Qrs there is five or six
Ladies there and the Officers
ar selebrating at a great
rate they have a band there
every night and whiskey
is as free as watter and
by the time they break
up the sholder straps [1]
make a great many crooked
paths and there has been
sick things happen as when
the straps sit down bef
beside the Ladies they loos
their ballance and of course
got a little lower than
they calculated to rather a
[page 3]
humble position laying
in the dirt at a ladies
feat: whiskey does more
damage to the armey than
the rebels. there isent
an Officer in this Armey
hardly but what drinks.
eaven the Chaplains
have to have their demijon
of Whiskey. ther is one
of our crew that had rather
a dear drunk he lost his
pocket book with $80
in it. now where there
is so much whiskey
drinked what wonder is
it that we donot whip the
rebels. I saw Herb the
other day he is looking nicely
about half of the co Reg
has had the small pox
[page 4]
yes I suppose the 25th
will get home this month
some time I wish that
we all could get gome home to
gether but we cannot so
we must be contented I
shant worry myself about
it we must take things as
they come in your letter
speaking of Coras death
you wrote as tho your
brothers didnot think much
of you I think they think
a greatdeal of you and would
feal as bad as her brother did if they
would lose you and about your answering any
letter to soon not a bit of
it for I always like to hear
from my friends and no matter
how often. then Nell has
turned hors jockey has she
she must lookout and not get
[continued in left and top margin of page 1]
cheated well Hatt my sheet is most full and
I will close with
just as often
as you can hope
you will have a
pleasant time on
that visit you
spoke of.
how does
Miss Wormwood
get along
and Jed I
hear that he
likes
Wormwood
pretty well
this spring
[written upside down in top margin]
accept this from your
friend Alvin