Gloucester Point March 8th 1863
Dear Mary it is a pleasure
for me to spend a few moments
in writing to you my health is
good may this find you enjoying
the same blessing I received a
a letter from Clay last evning
and was glad to heare from
you and all the rest Mary
I do not write as many letters
as I did I can not find much
to write we have plenty of news
papers you have the same I think
by lates counts we will heare
some good news before long I
hope so at any rate it dos seem that
things must change or we are
gone up and the best goverment
in the wourld destroyed I have
a good deel of faith yet that we
shal come rite all right yet
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Mary I do not want you to
think I do not write to you as
often as I did I suspose all
git your letters to read or heare
what is in them they are not worth
going for after if I wer writing
to you alone probaley I should
write more nonesance then I do
I am a poor hand to write letters
to make the best of it if we was
on the pramps I could find more
news heare it is one thing over
and over on pickit it is not hard
work in the least but afellow
gits kine lasey I think we
stand a good chance to stay heare
the most of our time I do not
know nor does any one heare know
we do not drill enough to do ous
much good or much hurt
[Page 3]
It seems a good deel like home
heare I shal be sorry when we
have to leave heare if it is not
for home I do not believe
we could find a pleasanter
plase between heare and home
or a healther plase I think some
of picking me afarm down heare
and tell uncle sam I will
take it for what he ows me
I am a feard he will git so poor
he will not be able to pay all
of his debts it is doutful when
we git any pay I do not care
if we do not git any till our
time is oute have it all in
a pile we went over to york
Town last Tuesday to a grand
review of the drafted men that
is 3 regiments and then we made
quite ashow the 170 got the prase
[page 4]
thair was 2 men hung in
York town monday for killing
an old farmer last fall they went
thair to git some appels while thair
3 men piched on them and give
them a good thrashing they did not
like that the next day they got
more help and went back they met
the old farmer on the road in a
cart one of them jumped in the cart
and knocked him onte the other
atacked him with a knife they be
longed to the 12 batery I saw
a letter that James Grub wrote to
a young fellow heare that lives clos
te by him they was all well
the rebs come down heare once
in a while to wake ous oup they
make some big threats what they are
a goin to do but have not done it yet I
think they will have a good time when
they come we can see them from our
pickit lines evry few nights