Stephens Depot Shanadoah Valey Va-
Aprile the 12^th 1865 My Dearest and
loving Wife it is with the greatest of
pleasure Imaginable that I take my pen
hand this morning to respond to your
Kind and always welcom letter Dated
Apr 4^th recd it last night about
8 oclock and you Beter Believe it cased
some little Exitement in our little
Dog tent when I red out Hi Finton
Drafted it was nown all over the
Regt in less than twenty minutes
if you have regreted my Enlisting here-
tofore I believe you will take those
regrets all Back now wont you
I have regreted it myself but I feel
Buly over now and I would
feel Bulyer yet if I could hear of
that Beauty. George Bener was a
conscript in place of some white
man. I am Enjoying my self Buly
[page 2]
now we have got new arangments
in regard to our cooking it has
Been hertofore that there was three
men Detailed to cook for the hole
co_ But wee are Divided in to messes
now Six in a mess. Danel The H Klick [Pvt. Henry Klick of Co. D]
Fred Andlauer Geor Stallsmith and old [Pvt. Blais F. Andleaur and Cpl. George
Shanghi is i our mess wee get [Stallsmith] [“Old Shanghi” is Hiram Finton]
a good Deal more now than wee
can Eat I had coffee and good lite
Bread meat and molases for Breakfast
this morning the molas I Bought of the
sutler. and now that I no that you
Begin to feel a little Beter satesfyed (I
say it and I mean what I say) I can
Enjoy the Soldiers life first rate
I am glad to heare that you are all
well and that the county is Doing
so mutch for you the Boys in my
mess are all well some of them
are very mutch Discouraged because
they cant get no letters from home
when you write always say in your
letter whether there women are well
or not if you no
[page 3]
I am inded sory to hear of so mutch
ill feelings Existing Betwen sarah
and rachel. Rachel certainly must
have lost Respect to Her Husband
her self and her relations For
shorly is injuring them all if I
was in Danels place She should
never see me a gain and Shall
Be surprised if She Ever sees him
a gain he is talking of Enlisting
for five years in the Regular
army and cant Blame him
though I am Doing all I can
to Keep him from he has never
Recd a word from her sens
wee was at home
this the 5th letter that have wrote
in this month and I have Recd
2 I wrote to Mr Cass to find
out how mutch my taxes was But
I have not Reed any answer
from him yet and I wrote
Mr Shetler and OBrine all
unanswered yet
[page 4]
some of the Boys says they
wont write any more until
they get a letter from home
wee all sent our over coats
home yester day the and me sent
a blanket a pice and I sent you
a couple novels the prarie flower
and Blanche or the lost Diamond
wee sent them to unkle Si
you will have to pay your
share of the freight wee could
not pay it here for wee Did not
no how mutch it was now
I want you to give me a bigg
letter next time you write I
must now Close hopeing these
fiew lines may find you
all in the Best of health good
By and good Bless you all
the mail is almost ready to start
I would write sarah some
you Shal hear frome me soon
to suck and S<al?>y Old Shanghi
[continued in left margin, top of page, and right margin]
I am a going to send you a red Envelop this time
the next one will Be White the next
two Blue <tase?> notice and you can tell whether you get them
[added upside down at top of page 1]
give all the particulars in your
next letter Hiram to his Best
frien Priscillia Finton