Thunderbolt Hospital June 18th 1863.
Mrs Nancy J Harden: My Dear Wife I will
try to write you a few lines which will in
form you that I am not well I am
very sick at this time I hope these lines
may find you & Mollie well and doing well
& also all the rest of the Family Connection
I can not tell what is the matter with
me We all thought I was taking the measles
I do not think it is that I am not broke
out yet. the Dr. [cannot?] tell what it is..
think it is the Billious feaver, as I am
subject to that I have headache, and
Cough a good deal my bones ache all over
the Small of my back, & Bowels hurt me
I have not had an Opperation in 3 days
until just now I will try to get the
Doctors to send me home as soon as I am able
to travel I cant tell how long that will
be I am lying on my bunk while I am
writing these lines I am not able to sit up
long enough to write a letter The yanks
taken our Iron Clad gunboat day before
yesterday with 150 prisnors it is Said She
run a ground and could not get a way others
say She done it a purpose We have
got no iron clad here now to protect
us. We expect a fight soon
[page 2]
We have a good nurse in our ward, [?] room, his
name is westmoreland a cousin to the
old Dr. that used to Stay in Zebulon he
knows his Business and attends to it right
We lost another man about 2 days
ago out of [our???] his Name was Burgamy
he died at the General Hospital in
Savannah [they?] have been giving
me Quinine [all?] the time I have
taken a dos every 3 hours Since I
have been here [head?] [?ears] So I
cant here nothing Jane I will
have to close as I am woarn out writing
you must write often I will write
again in 2 or 3. days to let you know
how I am Yours &c
WH, Harden
Farewell.