Camp Near Sharpsburg Oct 16 [1862]
Dear mother
I take this opertunity to wright you a few
lines to let you know that i am well at
present and hopes these few lines may find
you engoing the same state of helth I receaved
your ever welcom letter this morning and
I will anser it right away there is not
much news here at present only they
was fighting at Edwards fery wich is eight
miles from ware we are in camp the rebs
was trying to cross over in marland and
our boys would not let them cross i rote
to you a few days ago but i supose you
have not got it yet our regment had
marching orders yesterdy but they was
countermanded again the last letter
i rote i told yow to send me a pare
of Pants but i have got a pare now
and if you have not sent them you
need not [????] now you spoke about
uncle stephen coming down to see me
i would be very happy to see him but
[page 2]
he will find acomodations is poot here
you spoke about send me my blanket
i dont want it we are agoing to draw
soon the boys here are grouling about
there money but we ought not to say
eny thing only think of guses men
the capten was telling me they have
not got eny pay for seven months
so we have no room to talk as soon
as i git my pay i am agoing to send
it home to you you spoke about us
coming back to the state to recrute up
but it is not so they are puting new
rigments in our bergade and the boys
are all disadisfide all the old solgers
are down on these nine month men
they have a fight ware ever they
meat i got bad news yesterdy of
the deth of walter burns i was working
for his father when i come a solgring
he belong to the same regment that
John Pyott was in the diseast that
aled [1] him was the tifoid fever he was
[page 3]
in the hospitel at yorktown tell georg
if he gathers me a lot of chesnuts i
will pay him for them and as soon
as we get in to winter carters [2] i am
agoing to send home for a box then he
can send them to my i supose you
had a big time in philadelphia i
would of liked to seen georg there i
expect he would look with his mouth
open our little company that is left
are well considering the hardships we
have gon through our capten is a
going to resign as soon as hee gits his
company in to winter carters he sais
he hats to leave his little company but
his helth wont premit him to stay
we would not never get a better one if
we would hunt chester county over i
herd that Josey Pyott is raising a compny
and old dave Irwin is first leutenet
mother after they git all the men
drafted then they had better call out the
young girls they would fight as well
[page 4]
as some of the men i was on camp
gard last night and got a [seeting?] i never
had better helth than i have had
sins i come back to our campany
i rote a letter to magie about a week
ago and have not got eny anser
yet you nead not send eny thing
in the clothing line with uncle
Steven only my scarff and i would
like to have a shirt but wate till
i send money home for you to
by the stuff and as soon as i get
paid i will do that give my best resp[?]
to uncle Stephen ant margret
molie and georg and to mrs burten
and saley and miss taggert and
all the rest wright as soon as you
git my leter all at present from
your affectnat son
William H Henry