the
Gloucester Point March 15 [18]63
Dear Mary I wish you good
morning may you enjoy this
sabath day I am trying to as
well as I can we have some thing
to do evry sunday such as slicki
ng up evry thing have to pack our
nap sacks and have them inspected
at 10 oclock grand review a[t] 2 dress
parade at 5 you see it takes some of
the day we do not halft to drill it
would not be worse I do not
think it is right to use the day
for such purpeses I think one is
entitled to the day to keep it as he
see fit the day is not respected
much heare I have wrote two letters
to you since I have got one I hard
ly know what to write to day is
the day that I most always
write to you I will not miss the time
[Page 2]
I did expect one last night
but was dispointed I suspose
it is on the rad some whare letters
have veres times on the road some
times 4 days some times 2 weeks
I suspose they do not care much
if we never got them I do not expect
many I do not write many I shal
write to you often and shal expect
one from you Mary time is pass
ing by it will not be long before
we shal be at home I am not
sorry that I come I had druther
be heare then to run my chance
on the next draft I hope if they
do draft they will make them toy
the mark the first one that tryes to
resist or talks in faver of the south
to shoot them they do more hurt
then you at home think for if you
ware heare you could see the southners
say that is one of their grate hopes
is from the north I say shoot the traters
at home and we will be all right
[Page 3]
my health is first rate never
felt better in my life have the best
of an apetite have not mist ameal
since I left home have had some
rather tuff ones it takes the best of
an apetite to live heare and make
a full meal evry time it is better
then I expected and git the same
our time oute I shal think we
have had good luck I persurve[r]
we should have seen harder times
if we had been on a march
good evning Mary I did not finish
this I thought I would wate for
the male this evning it did bring
a letter from you and was gladly
received and read with pleasure
I thank you for such a large sheet
I should have liked it if it had been
twise as long you can find more
to write then I can we have some
good news this evning from yazoo city
I hope we shal heare more before long
[Page 4]
I have not the least feares about
staying longer than our 9 months
it is down in white and black
they say we will be at home within
our time I suspose some would like
to have it so I would like to have
some thair learn to be soldiers it is
worth learning one will learn good
many things he never thought off
we are having some cold disagreable
wether the worst we have had we are
going on pickit in the morning and
then friday we have lots of ste[??]es some
times the rebes are coming we have some
nice horses they say they will have them
they do not want the fort it would
not do them any good to want the fort
they cant have it we have to many bull
dogs heare some that will shake afellow
oute of bead we have guns enough to
rake every foot of ground on the point and
cross rake it and the best men in the
service to man them they have been [??]
of batels my sheet is most full I shal half
to close for this time I was glad to hear
your health was good I am afraid Carley
boy will be sick take good care of him
give him a kiss for me if I git any pay
I shal send it to you if not I have [??]
enough my time oute if noth happens
more then I know of you must pay Ro[??]
his part of the thrashing I did not do right
in leevin it so I will be satisfied with what
he thinks is right write and let me
know it was not the way to do buissness
I suspose he thinks so to goodby Mary