Chesapeake Gen. Hospital
Fortress Monroe Va.
Oct. 20 1863

Dear Mother

I recieved your kind
letter to day and was glad to hear
from you and was sorry to hear
that your head was so much worse.
but I am glad that you write to me as
often as you do. but some times
I get discouraged and dont think
that you are sick. but I shall get used
to it by and bye. the reason that yo
I want you to write so often is because
that I want to hear from home as
often as I can. and I have not had
a letter from Augustus as often as
I used to. I begin to think that they
are all sick. but you would tell me
if they was. My health is improving
now very fast and I have not
[page 2]
I have not got farely over my Fever
& Ague yet I tell you that I am
pretty weak yet. my head troubles
me a good deal yet. I have not
got any blood in me yet. so I
am very weak I wish that I would
think of something to write but
I cant. we dont get get any news
here now. but we are getting pretty
good news from the War Department
now and I hope that if will continue
to be good. I will tell you about
what the doctor thinks of my getting
a furlough. the doctor says that
my case is not for a furlough or
a discharge so you see that I have
got to give it up. and I hope that
I will be able to get to my Regt
and when I get their I will
be more likely to get one if
I have good luck. so you had
no need to expect to see me for
3 or 4 months if at all. it will be all
[page 3]
good luck if I should get one
but never mind. if I ever do get
get home I will take the good
of it while I am here. our doctor
is a [Cam?] man. I mean our ward
doctor and I like him very much
we are having a Church built now
that come from Baston. so we
are at work all of the time. a doing
something for the soldiers. we have
got a very fine man here for
Chaplain. he is gone to Baltimore
to get the seats for the church now.
I had a letter from your Mother the
other day and she was very sorry that
I could not get a furlough they
was all well. and had company
from Illinois their a visiting. I will
write to you as often as I can possible
and why do you not get Ella
to write for you. she can write
as good as I can . I am getting tired
of being in the Hospital it is and
awful lonesome place
[page 4]
all that I can get to buesy me is
papers and to write letters. but I have
found one Norton man here his name
is Mr Henry Miller he is Captain
in the 2d North Carlina Colored
Regt he is sick with the Fever
and his wife is here and she is a
very fine woman she to uses me
like a friend she is awful afraid
that I will get down again she
says that I am not fit to be
up around and when I get lonesome
I go into his room and have
a talk with her she is a very fine
woman but my sheet is a getting
small give my love to all send
tell them that they must write
to me and tell me a good
lot of news it is morning now
and I must close I will write as often
as I can and I want some of you
to write as often as twice a week and I
will do the same from your son and
friend Edwin A Lane Love to all
[1] write soon and tell me [all of the news?] write soon