Brickersville Pa
July 26th 1865
Peter & Cyrus
Once more
I take pleasure in writing
to you to inform you
that I am at Present in
good health and am
a free Citizen and
sincerely wish you could
be the same. I am at
home about a week
now and am working
as good as ever I have
been binding Oats and
hauling home the Same
and now I am raking
one of the Furnase fields
for the halfs [1] there was
a beer party at Moses
Setters last Saturday
but I was not there
[Page 2]
I have seen both your
parents and spoke to them
and peters father got
a letter a few days ago
I think if you go to work
and make application
for your discharge
you may be able to
get it go to work thus
tell the Colonel or who
ever is in Command
of you and tell him
that according to an
order issued all troops
whose times of Service
expire before the 1st of
January 1866 are to be
discharged and your time
is up on the 16th of Oct
1865 and I actually
believe that you will
be discharged
[Page 3]
I have not much or
any news every thing
appears very dull a
good many or most
all the boys that have
been gone are back
except those one year
men which are still
at Staunton Va and
dont know how soon
they will be mustered
out I have been to
see some of my old
duck and they do it
as good as they ever
did There are any
amount of young gals
here at present tomorrow
there will be a wedding
Wm. Eckert is going to
marry Harriet Matthews
[Page 4]
There will be a party
in Brickersville tonight
and a Pic Nic at Jesse
Parmabickers on Saturday
we have plenty of ways
to spend the five cents
we brought home I think
I shall go to Illinois again
before very long I wish
that you could come
back before go I do
very much wish to see
you both I wish you
all the luck and hope
you can soon return
home I am well and hope
you are the same I am as
ever your Friend &c
I E Bentz
to Peter Boyer
&
Cyrus Engle