[1] Gettysville, Va Feb. the 22. 1864

Dear Parents
Due time gives me a favorable oppotunity
So therfore i will improve it by writing you
a few lines in answer to the one i received
to day and finding you all well i will stamp
mine as such.. I received a few lines from John
the other day and it seams that he is keeping
Batchelters hall his wife being gon to chelmsford
on a visit he dident write but they were all well
so i thought they want in a dangerous condition
now about andover [Jobes?] you spoke about sending
one of my letters so they could tell whare to direct
but i have not received a letter from there
yet but I am looking for one daily we receive
a mail every day so i get the letters in two days
after they are wrote generaly.. now as for knews
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i dont hear of much so you must write that
for there is not much going on here latelye
allthough i am detaled on the Pinear core [pioneer corps]
and i like Pretty well there is some of the
bigest white oak trees here that i ever saw
and as sound as a nut they cut them up
into wood and the wod we burn is Paid for
by uncle sam because the man that owned it
has come in side of the lines and taken
the oath of a legience and whare we are cuttning
is about three miles from Portsmouth now
in regard to your choping dont [t]hey find a good many
of those old trees hollow i always thought they
would be has he sold eny on the flat or only
that on the side hill i suppose he haint
eny thing to do with carting it . and tell father
not to work himself to death for he is getting
old there is more then one day.. now I would like
to ask a few questions concerning that Painting that
I left when i came away you have not written
eny thing about it though i suppose it is just as
I left it and father got out some sashes the winter
before i came our but you write that you were
waiting for me to get home before you touched it
& you spoke about getting my money ready when
i got home you spoke just as though i were
in a hurry i had just as lives you would
have the use of it as to let it lay in the
bank & now you spoke that you was willing that
frank and george should enlist if John
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did i dident know as John had eny
notion of it he never spoke of it to me
in his letters i was inhopes he wouldent
think of such a thing for i think John
would feel awful dissatisfied when he came to
know what a soldier life was i wouldent
advise him to enlist for i wouldent myself
agan i tell you those that haint bin out dont
know what it is allthough my Patriotism is
jist as good as ever it was but things
aint cerid on to suit my idea and i think
those that enlist for three years longer
will have a chance to serve it and if it aint
for this war i think they will go to mexico
they are sworn to serve againt all enemes
dont you think the french are going to get
routed out just as soon as we can spare
the troops to go there i hear that Burnsides is
getting up a Private experdition and that all
mass regt is turned over to him i hope not
for i dont want to go storming round much
more i should like to stay here till my time
is out the tenth newhamshire has bin in
the vercinity eight months and the thirteenth
is here they are much better troops then
the newyork troops are & whare ower camp is
there was the sixteenth conneticut re[g]iment
and when they come to move they hurd
that there was a negro regiment coming it
made them so mad that they Burnt up about
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every thing that they couldent cary and besides
that they cut down the flag staff and the major
was Put under arest for it so i hurd but i dont know
how he came our & now i will tell you of a narrow escape
which occurd to day in the woods a little nearrier
then i should wanter risk two of them cut a large
oak and fell it against one still larger and they
couldent get it down without cutting the one it fell
against so they went to work and cut it and it was
a white oak as much as two foot through and when it
came to fall insted of going out side wais he run
as the tree was falling and he just got up
whare the large lims were and a little lim struck
him and nocked him down and there was two
large ons came each side of him if one of those
had struck him he never would have known
what hit him i thought it had killed him
at first but he Picked himself up at last
and it frightened him so that he was as
white as a sheet but it dident hurt him much
now i beleive i will draw to a c[l]ose by biding you
good night and will Prepair for a nights rest
now you must write soon and a good long
letter though i cant expect you to write so long
a one as this give my respects to all those that
enquire for me with much for yourself
yours truly J B L