Antietam Oct 4 / 62
Dear Brother
I suppose you have
thought it strange because
I have not written to you
before but to tell you the
Truth I do not get but [litle?]
time to do anything let alone
writing of the times I tell you
John we have all we can do
out here about now they
drill us about all the time
as they dont know what
moment we may go into battle
and wehn we ant drilling
we are being reviewed by some
body or rather yesterday we
were reviewed by the Presid-
ent and Gen Mc Clellan and
it was a big thing on us to
Father Abraham looks as if he
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had a heap of trobble on
his mind he look 10 years
older yesterday than he did
the time I saw him before
Burnsides is the boy for you
I tell you what his unifore is
pants common army Blue
with a blouse with a com-
mon Check shirt with a very
large collar which he turns
over the collar of his blouse
and a large Black Neck
hankerchief with a Sailors
not and a black Kossuth
hat with the rim turned
down this consitutes his
unifore and his a trick to
one of his Corp stole a brace
of ducks and was catch in
the act of cooking them
by the Genl who stoop
down and took one of the
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legs of one asked him where
he got them from the man
toled hime he went into
a mans yard and took them
you did did you sayed
the Genl still chawing on the
leg and look very searus
yes sir sayed the man well
you do it again sayd he
the first chance you get
and passed on taking the
leg with him. I tell you
we have to shift for our-
selfs harlf the time the hard
bread we have drawn for
the last forthnight has
been full of mggets and
coffee without ana sweeting
in it. I Thought some of
asking Farther Abarham to
Stop to dinner and try some
of them and see how he like
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army liveing. I am going
out on Picket to night
and was to the hen roost
that lays in my road or the
hog that grunt after dark
for it is part of a pickets
duty to look after the
iner man. well as I cannot
think of anything els to write
of now I guess I will [shut?]
down. give my love to
mother and all the folks
and when you answer this
direct your letter Co B
36, Regt Mass Vols
Ninth Army Corps
Washington D. C.
From your affectionate
Brother Obed R Davis