Fart Richerdson June 25th 1864
Dear Father I now sit down to
Write yow a few lines to lett you know
that I am well and recieved a letter from
yow yesterday dated June 21st was glad
to here from yow and to know that you
all are well I recieved three letters from
you the 23rd thay wer letters that was
sent to me when I was at the front thay
falowed ws all around but we got here
first I recieved a letter from sis dated
June the 12th and must answer it soon
we are prety buisy here now we are larning
the drill on the big guns in the fort
it is intierly different from light [duty?]
I am glad that you recived the check I will
be able to send you another one soon we
expect to be paid before long and I expect
to get thirty six dollars in sted of twenty eight
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thay have risen our pay and it is nothing
but right a soldier has to sacrificse a grait
meny privelidge when he goes to serv far
his cuntry people at home cant amagin how
much damage this war has don the famlies
in the south can tell a quite a sariful story
I recieved a little pay by expres from you
the twentyeth containing a watch and a few
other articals the watch runs well so far I
like it and am goin to try to cary it home
some day the little cakes tasted quite nise
we had been out drilling and I ate them
with a relish I must thenk mother ors siss
for the handkerchiefs altho I am not at home
thay care for me I should like to be at home
to help ya far I know you have to work verry
hard I feel as if I was at home I could be trusted
to work alone you must not work to hard
you have don mare then your part new
I am glad that sis helping mother now
for she kneeds help it is almost two
years sinc I left you I have seen considerable
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of the world sinc and have found
out that there is no plase like home
I dident used to pay as much atencion
to that little word as I dow now
I often have thoguht how James engly
left his ward when I enlisted
not but that Jamas well of with out him
but I have found out what he is and shall
try and remember it tow it takes all kinds
to make a world you know I never shall think
as much of him as I used to
tell Johns falks when you see then that
he is well and expects to be out of it lll
this fall I supose william is doing a good
buisness now I am almost afraid that I
wont get home quick enough to go to his
weding but if I dont yow must send me
a piece of the cake I have sent another
pictur home the first one dident look a
bit naturel it was cloudy when it was
taken and the featares wasent plain
thay all tell me out here that I have grown
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fleshy but I waid one hundred and
forty eight lbs the other day I am not as
strong as I was when I enlisted I dont
get much of mothers good [nictulas?] now
tell all the folks to write soon far I always
like to here from home it makes a felow
feel better it is just three minutes to
two by my watch now and I must
close because we have to drill at two
So good by
Yours in hast J. P. Campbell