Wabash, Oc 6th 1864
Dear Mother I got your letter
last friday and was very glad to hear
from you and hear that you was
well you say that Jake has been
sick in the hospital over a month
and is getting better now i am glad
to hear that he is better now i am
well as usual now we are laying here
in the same place we was before when
i wrote we had general quarters
last night about eleven o clock it
was fun they was in sutch a
hurry that they left the tomkin [1]
in when they fired and shot the
tomkin away. i hante got that
letter you sent your foto
in yet and i dont believe i will
now i am sorry that i didnt
get it you may sent me another
if you are a mints if you have it [a mind]
i dont know when we will go
[page 2]
away from but i guess not
very soon. you say that father
and haviland is diging potatoes
now you say that the potatoes is
large this year. well Mother i
dont know but i had about as
live dig potatoes as to stay
here it would seem all fore
me to be on to land once more
i hante been on to any land
in about six months. there was
a draft [2] come a board here the
other day and i thought one of
the men was cack till i asked
him he looks just like him
exactly. tell Abby Jane to write
to me i dont know as i can
think of mutch more this
time so good by for this time
i will fill the rest of this up
for haviland write as soon as
you get this direct your letter
to united states steam frigit
wabash from your son Charles Lester.