Fort Grebl Sept 28 62
Dear Sister, Yours of the 14th that is
what I made of it came to hand last
night, I would write you as large a leter
if not as good a leter as this
yours was if I had the mamath
sheet of paper but I can spread
my self on this and get all the
ideas that I have acuired since
i entered this show on this
in fact I have about exausted
my brain, and if I write any
thing to day it must be on
some subject I no nothing about
Now the fact is women are very
scarse here and you see but
few except Laidys of couler
Some say they have ben so long
without seeing a white
woman that the feet of
these Ebony imagis look hansome
but I cant see them in that
light yet. As I was in search of water
[page 2]
of warter down in the woods
the other day and As I was
winding my way through the
dence foliage I espide some
thing emerging from an arbour
that was formed by a
beautifull grape vine winding
among the branches of sicermore
trees, I for a moment was
enraptured and came to the
conclusion that I had the
pleasure of seeing a wood
Nynph but as I se in her
hand a bucket of water
I leveled my head and
aproached and asked
her if she could find the
founting that I might
fill my canteens she shily
but politely told me the
wayway. and thanking
her and biding her good
morning
[page 3]
I pursuid my cours onward
to the spring Now this
girl was nothing more than
we see at home evry day but
she difered from the women
here materly she was about
the heightt of Lizzie Day
and very much the same
stile of fetures. and wore
hoops and looked neat
in fact looked some like
a girl about sixteen
wich was the only one I have
seen or heard of being seen
since w[e] left Phill
when our days work was
done and we came started
home we met the same girl
at the brook and as we
halted she crosed the
brook a la on a pole
that was laid across
with her pail of water
a la Blondin
[page 4]
now if you want to know
what a fool a woman will
make of man you should
have seen the sight I
dont beleeve there
was a man in the whole
gang that kept his head
levil I have seen the
play of the boy that never
saw a woman and the
first time his eys was
permited to gaze upon one
of the angerliferus crettures
it was upon a girl of about
15 years he went into raptures
and thought he had
found some bird of a splen
ded plumage Now this
girl prodused about the
same efect and still she
was not hansone her chin
retreated her hair was not
comed neat and her ey did
not sparkle but perhaps
It would under some cicumsces
but there she wore hoops
and did not look sour
which is ararity here
something uncomon not
here I find I nust have
another sheet to exaust this subject
[page 5]
Now I went home and felt
no diferent diferent
as though I had had quite
an anventure and started
down to an old negroes
to get my shoes taped and
found two negro girls who
where very sosiable and
in fact where biter dresed
and not so homely as they
average I inquired of them
about this young wight girl
Now when they told me her name
they looked at me as soldiers
looks when they put their
eyes right that is they
turned their heads and eyes
to wards me that I might
understand but when
I told them that I tha
thaught she was the
han somest girl I ever saw
their eyes went to the front
and I was no longer popular
[page 6]
Only think unpopular
with a negroe girl
but there I might have
known better there they
thaught themselves beautiful
and supposed I was a man
of poor taste for surposing
there could be anythying
more beautiful than
themselves I should have
flatered them and told
them she was the best
looking wight girl I had seen
then I should ben in
clover. What a bad thing
it is to be honest
I went home and as I was
on Picket last night
I supposed I might get
get a change to go
out to day and see
what I should see that
is hapen over to
[page 7]
her house and get
some peaches but
the comander of the
post has for bid any
one going out side of
[t]he fort to day it
(beng sunday) and
I am obliged to stay
in pound wich if
it was other wise
my destyny myght be
changed, keep a level
=head is my moto and
I have leveld mine,
and say there is a desterny
that shapes our ends
rough hew them as we wile
It is my desterny to day
to write these foolish
lines to you to day
Give my best respect to
Mary & Edwin and
tell Mother I am in good health
M.P. Larry
[page 8]
Tell Daniel to write me soon
As I want to hear from
him we know nothing
of the war and it seems
to us all that we should
never see fight but
why we think so I can
not tell, We drill on
big guns light artilery
infantry bush wack &
handle the spaid
I found a snake skin
6ft long I put it in
my pocket and lost
my jackit so I can not
send it to Sam yet
Give my best respects
to all hand
M.P.
Larry