June 16th 1862
in the woods Seven miles from
Richmond
Dear Wife
I recieved your
letter mailed The 3th on Friday 13th it
being ten days from the time it was
mailed I had a mind to think you
had forgotten that Such a being as I
existed on the face of the Globe for it
was almost two weeks that I recieved no
tidings from home or from that qua=
=rter but as it was no lack on your
Side of course I Should find no fault
although I am natural fault finding
creature wantanting people to take
notice of me if I am way down in this
God forsaken country for I can give
it no other name from what I have
Seen of it and Should think that there
had been enough blood Spiled on its
Soil to redeem the land if blood will
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Cleanseth it from impurity I should
judge that enough was spilt the hardest
battles that has ever been fought on this
continent has been fought on Va Soil
would to God that the last battle that
would be fought had been fought for
I have no desire to see any blood Shed
for I have seen enough my eyes have
witnessed more than they bargained
for when I left home but still I
fear that my eyes has got to witness
more for unless Richmond Should
be evacuated by the rebels it must
be taken Salt peter cannot Save it
unless God Should turn against
us in this hour of emergencies. as for
that we Should not fear for our cau-
-se is just and in him is our trust
and he has promised never to forsake
those that put their trust in him
I fear that to much dependence
is put in the Strenght man but
[Page 3]
enough of this the letter I wrote before
this I found Some fault which is just
like me on account of my not recieving
letters from you I said that I had written
three Since I had recieved any from you
I was mistaken it was but two there=
-fore I will own that I can lie yet
although it is a Shame to me but as
for that I done it inocently and
for telling that whopper I will write
you a whopper letter before I get thr=
=ough if it takes me all day for I have
nothing to do these days and have not
had much Since I was Sick the most
I have to do is to play up gentleman and
that I do at a very poor rate I have
been very healthy So I could do duty
at any time and I asked no odds of
no one thinking I could not get sick
but to my Sorrow I found that I with
others could complain of ill health but
I have one thing to cheer my drooping
[Page 4]
Spirits that I kept around just as
long as humane nature would hold
out and when for two days that I
did not eat more than one cracker
I finely got so weak that I could not
Stand up So I had to yield but it Seams
that I have been grunting long enough
to be sound by this time I have been
able once to do duty Since I was Sick
but I fear that I rather over done but
Still I feel keen to day although rather
weak one thing the rations that I draw
from the Government is So course I have
to buy my rations wherever I could find
it but Such prices as a person has to
pay for things here butter is fifty cents
cheese from forty to fifty cents a
pound perhapse you may not believe
it but is even and can prove it by
thousands of witness to prove it if you
doubt my word to day was the first
that I bought any butter but cheese
[Page 5]
and cakes I have bought a great many
one pie I believe is all that I have bought
for they cost So much and as for that
every things cost a farm to live I could
live was it not for the resolution I have
formed and not cost me much for I
could get my money easy God knows
that I have made my mind up in full
that to handle cards in any way for
just as sure as I undertook to play for
Sport I would get to playing for money
I earnt many dollars when I was at
Washington but lent it out to this one
and that just as I thought they needed
it one man is back to the Hospital
at Washington owes me Six dollars
annother owes me $1,50 annother
Annapolis in Md owes considerable
if he does not come up I shall
loose it but the other two I am acq-
[Page 6]
quainted with when at home and
one at Phila he I am not afraid of
John I let have twelve dollars an
half but he did not pay me any this
pay I recieved five dollars from annother
man but owing some I thought I cou-
-ld not send more than twenty five
dollars drawing only $29.00 dollars
and I must confess that I am
getting rather short at the present
lending John Some to day leaves me
with but one dollar I have to buy tea
for coffee Such as the Government
finds I cannot drink for it seams
rank poison we draw our rations of
Whiskey twice a day but I do not taste
of it I did at first drank two or three
rations but Since I have let it alone
John can drink mine and his both
and as much more as he can get
but enough Say nothing about it
for he does not get enough to
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hurt him I thank God that I have
no desire to taste or handle the article
and it will make me vomit even to
smell of clear whiskey it cannot be Such
liquor as we had up to our house for that
Stuff I am Sure I liked but I care for
nothing Stimulous but tea and that
I do not allow myself to drink more than
twice a day tea and unless I feel quite bad
I will not drink it more than once but
tobacco I have nothing to say for I
use as much as though it was cheep
and I fear more tobacco cost twice
as much as it does in our place but
enough of this for you do not chew
it I feel quite gay and happy although
I am Sick there is no days that I get
down in the mouth and I am
bound to keep So all the time as
long as know what I am about I
think we shall get disbanded as
Soon as we get to Richmond for
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our Colonel is wounded very bad
our Major being killed and our
Adutant of the Regt has resigned and our
Lieu- Colonel Said he should resign
as quick as we got to Richmond our
Captains are most all Sick wounded
and resigned and we are reduced from
eight hundred and forty to one hund=
=red and Seventy five men that are
able to do duty and Som of them are
none the best I would that the thing
was closed at the present time we
have the best of a Lieu- Colonel is
one of the nicest men and I
hope that God will Spare his life
to return to his family for I know
that a family blest with Such a Father
must be happy and a wife posessing
Such a wife husband can Safely my
home is a joyous one if you Can Send
me three dollars by the Way Washing=
=ton D.C. it will be sure to come we shall
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not get our pay until we get
to Richmond and perhapse
we shall Stay here till one
month rolls around but I
hope not so long for I am
getting tiered waiting but they
are Siege them out God only
knows how soon that may
if you can as well as not
without discommoding yourself
I think there is no danger relative
to it getting miscarried I guess I
had rather think about closing
for I am writing So often that
it must take you all the time
to read it give my respect
to all my friends if any
Such Should be I guess that
I have some write Some often
=er than you do dont be So [?] [1]
[Page 10]
fraid to give Uncle Sam a
few cents for I fear that
the old fellow will want all
he can get never worry about
me nor think I ever will dish-
onor my friends by cowardly
acts and Should I fall on the
battle field it will be an
honorable death to die but as
for that I do not anticipate
I trust yet I shall return to
my friends So good by
for this time write soon
This from your Husband and
best Friend L A Granger