1861
Camp Pierpont Dec 19th
Dear Friend I am well
at present time hoping that theas
few lines will find you all well
I have Not heard from You this
Long time I had A Letter from Dan
and one from Augustine and they
was all Well But Sally had Been
very Sick But she has Got midling
Stout A Gain I hope You will all
Keep Good health till I get home A
Gain to See You all A Gain which
I think will Be in Side of A Year
if it is Gods will that this war will
Be over and my health is Good I
[page 2]
hope we will all meet if Not
on Earth I hope will Be in heavn
The weather is Nice hear But it
Still Gets Cool in the Evening and
we had No Snow Yet hear more
then a idling Good frost this
day was Nice I could stand it
well without A Coat on we have
Plenty of Close here and we can
Sleep warm At Night I Do Not think
that this winter will Be Cold hear
like with You there Chirst mass
is coming Now Soon we all thought
at one time that we would Be home
A Gain that time But it missed
So I hope it will Be Before the Next
one comes So Turn over
[top margin]
Pleas Write Soon
and aftain then You
Do So Nothing more at
Present time But I Ree=
mains Your Son intill
Death Both us part
So Good By fath and
mother
Philip A Lant
I think we will stay
in this camp this
winter So Direct
Your Letters to
Washington as
You Did Before
___________________
Good By to you
all
[page 3]
The Boys are all well At present
time and we are all mery here I
have Not much to write this time
But hope I will Get A Letter Next
Thursday from home for I allways
Like to hear that my Father and mother
are well tell them Not to think hard
of me Being A Soldier for there is more
then on Left there homes Be sides me
and Left there Parents without Eney
thing So I hope there mind will Be Easy
for there are Now 500 hundred thousand
men Now and Sixty thousand more
Yet So You can Judge Your Self that
There has more then me Left there Father
and mother I Do Not forget to Say my
Prayes Every Evening and morning I [Pray?]
for them as well as them for me I Got
A metal from the Priest and I Got the
Scapular from Sister Mary ann and
She told me that You wanted me to
Say the Fine words of Our Savior I Do
Say them Every Day and the [???????]
[page 4]
I had [?????] and the Priest Gave
me A Prayer and told me if I Said
it Every Day that there would Be Nodanger
to Say one our father to the Blessed virgin
mary I have often Been on Guard and
I have Nelt Down on my [??out?] and
Said my Prayers and I have often Said
my Prayer when I was in [????] untill I
went A Sleep So You must Not think
That I have for Goten what the
misionery made us Promis under
the Cross that we will Live A Catholic
and Die A Catholic and I will Do
What I Promised I Never think
of Swearing Enny more for I have
[????] that for Ever for it is A
Scandal and I have thought that it
would Be in my plase to writ Such
A miserable thing So I will Be A
Good Boy and I pray to God to Keep
Sin out of my sight for i wanto Be
A Christian Now and for Ever So
I hope it will Be my Luck to Be
So So Good By to all my finds