Apr 27^th 1865
Sumit Point Jefferson co. Va [now in West Virginia]
My Dear wife I a gain take my
pen in hand to scrible you a fiew
lines to inform you that I am stil
Enjoying very good health and I do
feel very thankful to the giver of Eny
good and perfect gift for the same and
my prairs are that this silent messen
ger may find you and Our Dear
little ones Enjoying the same good
Blessing I wrote you a letter Day before
yesterday while I was out on picket guard
and Before I got to camp there was a
leter here from you Bearing Date of
the 9^th and was mailed to me the
14^th and this Evning I Began to answe
er it and while I was writing the above
Theadore Brought me another from
you I was indede glad to heare
from you once more and to hear
that you was well. But sorry to
[page 2]
to hear that our little pet was sick
I have Dreamped twicet of kissing that
little lamb about a weak a go I
Dramed that I had the Der little one
in my arms and I was kissing
her all away and I woke up and found
my self lying in my tent and no
maty there O I would give almost
any thing if I could see you all But
you must not think that I am home
sick for I am not But my mind
and heart is always with you the
letter that I got to night from you
is rather sad inded But wee will
hope it is not true there has several
of the Boys come to the regt from Camp
Carington lately But none of them
new any thing a bout Buckley But
I am a feard that he never got well now
I must quit riting for it is 9 oclock
they do not allow us to burn lights
any later I will finish this in the
morning if nothing hapens
[page 3]
april 28^th well it is morning a
gain and it is a beatiful morning
The Birds are singing sweetly in the
green trees and Theodore and me
are seting under a large Aple tree
a writing and listening to them the
letter that I got last night was mailed
on the 15^th Danel and The henry
Klick all got letters last night and
it was qite cheering to us all But my
my letter was rather fiew and <scateringg?>
it was good what there was of it but
there was not Enough of it. I guess
that I have got all the letters that
you have sent me But it appears
like there are slow to come. the aple
tree that wee are seting under is over
two feet and a half through there is some
of the largist fruit trees here that
I Ever saw. the trees are now all
out in leaf and Bloom and they look
nice this is a very healthy country
for wee have the very Best of water
[page 4]
the weather is geting very warm
here now I am sory to here that
my little young America has got
to Be govener over you But I think
you can Be govener if you youse plenty
of chery tree sprouts you had ought to
make him no his place if I had hold
of the little chub this morning I would
Kiss him til he would Be seducd
so you could handle him tell him
to Be a good Boy and when I come
home I will fetch him tell him
to Be a good Boy and when I come
home I will fetch him a little
Ax I have got one now and I am
a going to Bring it home with
me if I dont loos it when I wrote
to you Before I thought that wee
would leave here Before this time
But there is not as mutch sine
of moveing now as there was then
soldiers cant hardly Ever tell more
more than 3 or 4 hours a head when
he is a going to move But there so
many soldiers here that I dont think wee
will stay here very long look for the rest
[added upside down at top of page 1]
when you write Dont
Be so saveing of your
ink and paper now dont forget
[page 5, banner graphic reads: U. S. Christian Commission]
it is awful But I must report to
you what a Battle I herd of in
the northern states I did not hear
of eny Body geting Killed but I
herd of a woman getting shamefuly
Beaten O Dear wife it is to Bad
to talk a bout or to think of
I think it is Bad inded that a
women has so little respect for her
husband hoo is in the army with
his life Exposed to all kind of danger
and that she will her own jealous
hart cary her so far as to go to fighting
over it O for shame on her how
do you suppose Danel can feel over
it it appears as though the Devel
is let loose O My Dear wife Do try
and not get yourself complicated in
the mus if you can help it I did not
[page 6]
hear where the fight took place nor
any of the particulars more than they
had a fight and Rachel pounded sarah
very Bad and that sarah was a going
to sue her if she does sue her she
will only make the thing worse
and spread a Disgraceful Story more
than it other wise would Be O for
Shame on Such conduct it appears as
though Rachel has lost her heart if she
Ever had any and found the hart of a Brute
or some Deamon....
I would like to no how your money
holds out whether it is all gon or
not and how your pork holds out
and how mutch the taxes was that
old sqire cass payd for me I rote
to him to find out something a
bout it But I never got an answ
er from him yet tell me whether
Mr Shetler got them rail cuts
split or not and whether he is
plowing any or not
[page 7]
I have herd By letter that the soldiers
women was not a going to Draw
any money from the county at all
and then I herd last night that
would tell me how that our
Orderly Sargent is going home
on furlough to morrow and
will send this letter with him
if goes he lives close to piercton
and if he comes you can send
me your pictures with him
his name is Ewin Moor any [Sgt. David E. Moore]
thing that you send with him
will Be safe I no you have
a poor chance to get a round
to Do any thing But maybe you can
get Mr. Shetler or someone Els to
help you O my Dear wife I am
Sory that I had to leave you situated
as I did But if you can compose
your self and Keep a cheerful heart
I think you will get a long as well
as if I was there for think you
[page 8]
some very good friends may god
give you courage now Do not
fret a bout me for never had
Beter health in my life that I
have now and wee have nothing
that is very hard to Do Except the
marching and I dont think wee
will have very mutch of that
to Do in short time the Rebels have
nearly all surrenderd now
and what is left will soon
have to give in for <?> General
Grant has gon for them and
they will not stand Before him
long wee have not saw a rebel
yet Except some of lee’s men
that had come home on paroll
or some Bush Whacker that our
scouts had picked up nor
wee do not Expect to see any
very Soon if Ever well I guess
I will have to take another
piece to finish with
[page 9]
You Sayd you had to carry all of your
wood from the field I am very sorry
to hear it I should think you could get
some one to hall some wood for you would
try I would like to no whether your
money is all gon or not you will
have to Be careful of it for I will not
Draw any until in July and maybe not
then and if I find out for certain that
wee are not a going to get home I will
get a furlough if I can and then I
will have to get money from some one
Before I can get home I am geting very
impatient to no what is a going to Be
Done with us some of the Boys are very
home sick some of them have Been
Discharged and sent home I would like
to Be at home as well as any other person
But I am not home sick one of the Boys
that was sent home looked like a corps
and he said himself that he was homesick
I think you <filled?> the Bill just write
when you wrote the last letter it was something
[page 10]
like a letter you sayd you did not think
I could Read it But I red it very handy
and I could Read two more just
as Big as that was Sarah Sayd something
a bout a forged letter and about some
one writing a letter to her from Indianapolis
I could not understand it very well
you must try and learn Marion
his letters he is old Enough now to
learn them you sayd he sayd he would
like to se his papa I would give ten
Dollars if I could se you all this pleasant
sunday Evening I no I would get some
sweate kisses of you and out the little ones
I <??????> to kiss them for Both for
me and when I come home I will pay
it all Back with intrest. give my
Best Respects to Mr and Mrs Shetler
and <?????????????????????> [faded]
Rachel let her <????> [faded]
and she will punish her self now I must
Bid you good By <?????> But I remain
your Ever loveing husband til Death <???> is a
Hiram Finton <???>
To Priscillia Finton