Summit Point Jefferson Co. Va
May the 12^th 1865 My Dear wife
it is a gain with great pleasure that
I take the pen in hand to inform you that
I am stil in very good health and I hope
when these fiew lines Reaches you it may
find you all Enjoying the same good
Blessing I Recd your letter of the 5^th
last Evening which Brought the good
news that you was all well But I am
sorry to hear of Sarah's poor health
you Sayd you had not got a letter
for a weak now if you have not it is
not my fault for I dont think I have
wrote les than 3 evry weak Sens wee
got Down here unlss it was when wee
was marching I have wrote 2 sheats
very often and put them in one Envelope
and it may Be that some thought there
was money in them and they may have
opened them thinking they mite make
a rase I wrote you a large one from
Stephens Station and put it in a large Envelope
[page 2]
the Envelop was a yellow one you
can tell whether you got that one or
not the letter that I got from you
last nite appeared to have Been got up
in a hury By the way it was scatered
a round I gave Danel his letter that
was in it I have Spoke Several times
in my letters to you a Bout moving
from here But wee are not going yet
and there is nomore prospect of
moveing now than there was the next
Day after we got here and I have also
Sayd something a bout comeing home
and the Boys here in camp had got
thinking So mutch a bout going home
and they was So Sure of it that they
would not Drill worth a cent and
so our Colonel made us a speach
yesterday and he Sayd if wee was a going
home it was more than he new any thing
of he sayd wee mite have to stay our year
out and wee mite Be ordered home
in a month or Even in a fiew
[page 3]
Days But he could not say anything
positive if they can make any kind
of use of us they will keep us if not
they will Send us home in the corse
of 2 months But I do not think they can
Discharge us mutch sooner you sayd that
Hide Cass say we did not no any thing
a bout the war news But he is mistaken
wee get the Baltimore paper Evry
Evening and it always gives the latest
news and wee can get it here sooner
that you can there we are stationed
close a long the Railroad a bout 7
miles from Charlestown and a bout 17 miles
from harpers fery there is So many flying
Reports going through camp all the time
that wee cant tell when the truth is told
now let me say to you to Do a[s] I have
done make up yore mi[n]de that we will
Stay our time out and if you are disappointed
then it will not Be So Bad the thing at
present is very uncertain one good
thing in our favor it is a very healty place here
[page 4]
The Boys are all well Theadore is out
on Picket to Day Henry Klick is
with him now I want you when you
answer this letter to take a little more
time and Put you writing a little closer
together and tell me all the particulars
a bout how you are geting a long with the
out Door affars and if you have plenty
to Eat or not and if you have any
money or not. my money is all gone
or nearly So and if I get a furlough I expect
I will have to get Some money from
you Before I can get home for I Expect
wee will not get any money Before Some time
in July you nead not Send any unles I
send word for it I herd yesterday that our
Orderly Sergent had got home if you have
got any thing to Send to me you can send it with
him from Pierceton tell me whether you
have got my Blanket and Overcoat or not
as the Reoom on this Sheat is geting Scarce
I will have to Bid you all good By a gain for a
short time when you Read this Dont forget that
there is one whoo is very anxiously waiting for the
answer from your Ever loveing husband
Hiram Finton
[continued in margins and upside down at top of page]
to my Dear companion Priscillia Finton
if you have any Kisses left give the Babies a fiew
for me and I think I will make it almoste when
I get home my love to all the folks and a Big share for you and sarah
[added upside down at topand in left margin of page 1]
I herd yesterday that Buckly was Dead
I dont think you can read mutch <spe???> paper on
this sheat if you can send it Back and I will by fill it good By Dear Wife
[added at top and right margin of page 2]
tell me whether you have Bought any hogs or not
I am in hops that Lou made things all write when
he was Down and Stayd all nite with ms Benett
I thin She Will Be more Pleasant in the future
at least I do hope so
[added at top of page 3]
now Dont forget what I told you about writing