Union Mill Va
March 21st 1863
Dear wife and children
I have just writen one
letter for one of the boys
and as it [???] I thought
I would commence another
to send home we are hav-
-eing a great deal of snow and
bad weather these days
this is the most disagreeable
month that I have seen since
I have been here
I received your letter of
the ninth of March and
was glad to hear you was
all well at home and
that you had got the
money I began to fear that
it was all lost we begin
to think they are going to
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keep us here all summer
if they do I think I will
satisfied but we may go a way
from here in two days I shall
try and be satisfied let them
do with us what they will the Capt
that was to be tried is here
yet he says he dont know
what they are going to do
with him the court was in
session about two weeks and
adjourned without giving
him a trial there will be an
other court here soon I think
there is a man here that will
be tried for murder he killed
one of his tent mates by stabbing
with a knife he is kept in
irons he is hand cuffed and
has a chain around one of his
legs with a twenty pound ball
to the end of it he goes by
our shanty three times a day
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up to the cook house to get
his grub when he walks he has
to carry the ball in his hand
it givs the old fellewer p[r]etty
good [??] he is an old duchman
it is reported that he has killed
three or four men before this one
you wanted to know if I got
the papers to read, yes, there is
papers brought here evry day
from Alexandra on the cares
you also asked if I got two
dollars I did in a letter
that Ed sent to me I must
stop and eat my dinner and
finish it some other time
I have just eat my beans
pork and hard tack I forgot
to tell you that when we dont
work at the hospital we dont
eat there but have to go up
to the pioneers [1] and get our
grub the cares has just came
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and there is a great rush
to the depot our shanty
stands up on a high bank
and the rail road runs along
at the foot of it and we
have a fair vieu of it. the
depot is just a few rods
beyond. I shall put ten
dollars in this and send
home I guess I will put
an envelop in it to for
you to send back if I am
here I can get it if I go
away it can be sent to
me and if I dont get it there
will be no great loss
I am as well as common I
have got some cold but it
dont effect me much
write as soon as you get this
and send it to the office as
soon as possible
Lyman Beebe