JohnCampbell30

Transcription: 

Fort Scott. Aug. 4th 1864.
Dear Father I again sit down
to pen yow a few lines to let you
to let you know that I am well and
hope you are the same I mailed you
a letter this morning whick wrote you
fare or five days ago had now chanc
to maile it before we left port royel
monday morn for Washington we went
abard of the boat sunday night
and staid till morn before we
sailed we turned in our horses and
forty men of the Batt took them
down to white house landing
we sailed down the rapahanock passed
point lookout and in to the chesepeake
bay the patomac rive bore ws along
thurs day morn we halled up side of
the warf in site of th capital
[page 2]
we had to live all that time on hard
tack and raw pork we had no chanc to
cook coffee or port it is not uncommon
out here for a soger to ate his parkraw
we them turned out gunns in and repaorted
to the soldier rest a few rods form th
dike we got there about one and had to
wate till after six for some grub we got
some coffee and bread our knapsacks
was left down at the Warf and a gard
over them so when we laid down we had
to turn in on the floor nothing but blouses
on I thought as I rouled over in the night
if that was the soldiers rest that I dident
want to stay there again verry soon
so this morn we got our knapsacks abord
of some teams and crossed the river to this Ft the boys aint goin to take a gunn
and our offasers dont want us to it is
plaid out takeing light Arty men and
putting them in heay arty we are to garosen
this fort till the government can get horses
to imply the arty there has been thirty seven
[page 3]
battries turned in for the last
week the hole reserv of the patomac
I think that there wont be any sogers
kneeded in a short time we are gincing those
fitts down around richmond
the other part of the battrie has not come
yet we expect them soon
I got a pass last night and went to
the express offase thinking to get my
watch but there was no amount of any
thing on there books said that such an
artical hadent come if you put it in
the express send me the reciept so that I
can obtain the worth of it
you may have had it sent back as I wrote
I dident then think of coming to washt
so soon I kneed a watch and would like to
get onenow there is but few that like to lend
a watch out here Corprel of the Guard has to
have the time you know we will probably
to stay here for a few weeks at a time
I have written fore letters letters sinc we
[page 4]
Camp Barry on this trip and
havent got one yet but there is
ar hasent been much chanc to [sen?]
the mail or to get it for the last six
weeks past but you musent forget
a soger boy if [hars?] one when
nothing its will to here from home
have thay drafted yet around home
tell sis that she must write a good
long letter
Give my love to all
Yours in Haste
John P. Campbell
Good By

Date: 
August 4, 1864

Author(s)

Unit: 
Battery H, 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery
Rank: 
private; first sergeant
Residence (County): 
Norfolk County, MA

Recipient(s)

Name Variant: 
“Dear father”
Residence (County): 
Norfolk County, MA

From

From Note: 
Fort Scott

To

To State: 
Massachusetts
To Municipality: 
To County: 
Norfolk

Transcription/Proofing Info

Transcriber: 
Madison McFarland
Transcription Date: 
November, 2013
Proofer: 
M. Ellis
Proof Date: 
December, 2013

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