Camp Picher Jan 22 63

[1] I had a line from Will
saying that John had ben
used up by taking dowrey
this is the way rebelion is arused

Dear Sister your of the 17th came to hand in due time
and it found me well and [making?] a good living as
now We draw flour pork sugar onion rice molases potatoes
fresh Beef and dried [???] and [??????] at a halt we can [2]
do good cooking we have as good donuts as the people of
windham get Wm [???????????????] the cooking and
he beats the crowd ther we have any amount of coffee
I do not know why we draw so much we hav to
throw awy one fourth of it and it is beter coffee
than you get on an average but when we come
to [??????????????????????????] to our regular [3]
pork and hard bread but will has got a lot
of donuts cooked up as we expected to march
today but the order has just ben counter manded
and now they say we are to march to morrow Napoleon
Said it was order counter order and disorder with
men that did not know their buisnes I have
no more to say I have found to much fault
all ready this paper should be used for beter purpose
than even mentioning the managers of this show
You know how Julias and Johns show was managed
if you want to know how this Potomac show is
managed think of theirs and weep for your country
I see by the Portland pressrom their our surgens
where greatly beloved by the regement and a
lot more of praise pla[?????] to him it must
ben wrote for a burlesque at [??] [the boys?]
[???] the hour
and some ofisers read it to squads of men [to?]
as though it was
[page 2]
to show you how much he is worthy of respect
and love I will merly say that there has ben
men reported fit for duty one day and have died
the next and a number within 2 days after
being ordered on duty this has ben since the fight
and since the fight 17 men have died from
disease and many have ben sent of to other
hospitals whose fate we know nothing about
and owing to the negligence of our surgeons we hav
no one to take care of the wounded of our regiment
and J.E. Haskell had to remain untill a penn reg
took him of[f] and this is the last we could
hear from him we have heard from home since that he
was doing well and was going home We hope it
is so for he was a fine fellow by the way have
they heard from Whitney Who went out in
the 16th I saw one of the men on the batlefield
who said thet he was lost or rather they
did not know what had became of him they
had a wild fight and there was only 160
out of the regiment that started out of for
washington 1 or 2 days before we did If you have
any news conserning the fate of any one that I
know just write as we are in a very poor place
to know the Lieutenant has just ben in and
says we are going to pich in to the rebs again
perhaps we shall be sucsesfull if we are I
for one shall rejoys and am ready to do what
my strength and courage will admit but
I can plainly see a southern confedrycy but
it may be an optical delusion I see we got
considerable praise for our behaviour and
many more supposed we had just began to fight
when we where informed we had ben in a great batle
[page 3]
We supposed We should be orderd to charge
upon the Rebel intrenchments and take
the by the bayonet or fall and I think we
should ben ready to have atemped the task
an if we had there would ben but few
to have told the sad story as it was
we were gone out of a very bad scrape
in good shape but there was no more Genral ship
in putting us in to the fight than there was to
the bull that bunted the engine we simply
marched up in front of a half circle of
hills behind wich where planted baterys that
could rake us in any direction here we lay
[?????????????] driving back the rebs when
they atempded to capture our baterys and
yet we only had 2 men killed the dirt
wounld often be thrown upon us
some shot or shell struck in front of us and
burid it self in the ground or glansed harmlesly
over our backs there was a road in our rear
with a cedar hedge that was biterly torn to
peases by shot and shell that pased over us
and as night came on the canonading more
spirited and the exploding shell in the air
was surblime We lay down that night and
I for one slept soundly and saw some sleeping
in the day time this was as much swin[??]
great fatigue and being on the march before midnight
as to coolnes or unconsern as to our own fates
All though we done but litle we done it well
and should have done more if ben ordered to do
so If we go into an other fight may we
be as fortunate and [???] and more sucsesfull
[page 4]
I think I aught a be promoted As I must be a good hand
in this show as I began to write this leter rong
side out or hind part before or some other way than
it ought as evry thing seems to go rong here excuse me
for geting a litle [be?]wildest my head is [???] all [though?]
there is enough to make one crazy
that bone ring that I spoke of you may have a
chance to see as I made it for Ben Bond and
[???????????] have just finished another
for Wm Swett who has sent it home I wanted to
send it to Alace and ofered him “half dol”
for it but I could not get it he furnished
bone for 2 and I was to have one my self
and broke my own so alace must wate
untill I get time to make another I could
make something at the buisnes but it seems small
to take big money for a little pease of bone and
it is no use to be meane when the chances
of life is small Sol and the Dr Cobb
are here and well the Dr is in the 4th me that
is close by I see him often but as I never
was acquainted with him I have not spoke
to him he is a fat comfortable looking fellow
those stamps have not come yet that you spoke
of but they may get along I have plenty of
paper now as the sutler arived with a lot
last week and you need not send any more
stamps as I can get along some way I hope mother
is not sick I should rather die than [????]
I am in fine health and have much more
confidence in geting home with a level head
then I do that richmond will be taken
give my best respects to all and [??????]
[??????] their country to stay at home and
work like men yours truly M.P. Larry