Camp Bowers 13^th N. H. Vols Near Portsmouth Va Friday

evening half past seven o'clock June 19^th 1863

 

Dear wife as I expected to receive a letter from you today I looked most anxiously for the mail to arrive and was not disapointed for in it was a letter for me from "the girl I left behind me" and whom I love above all others in the world and was most happy to hear from. Well in that letter was one of Uncle Sams greenbacks to the amount of five dollars for which I was very grateful to you although not needing it at present owing to being paid off so recently but yet I can find a way to dispose of it some way and without much trouble I guess. I think I have staid longer out here than I meant to have staid when I came out here but the old saying is "circumstances alter cases" so I suppose that I must submit to it cheerfully and see if something will not occur to help me get home once more and see you and enjoy my self for a little while at least. By the way we have not moved yet although we expect to soon and we yet belong to the 9^th Army Corps although we are not with them and the rest of the Corps is reckoned at the entire 9^th Army Corps and the rest of the Corps is probably what is moving towards Vicksburg to support Gen Grant in his attack upon that place which I hope may be successful 

 

Sunday June 21^st 9 o'clock A.M. Dear Hannah I left off writing the other night rather suddenly owing to the officer of the day saying that the lights must be put so out it went and I went to bed or turned in as we call it here and was asleep as soon as possible. Well there is to be regimental inspection at eleven o'clock this A.M. with knapsacks and I expect we shall have a splendid time of it for it looks very much like rain but we shall have to go I supose if it rains pitchfork prongs down but I guess it wont rain pitchforks today. Well it is a very cool day and I am glad of that for it will save us some sweat while we are carrying our knapsacks. The boys are all packing up their knapsacks and getting ready for inspection and I have got my knapsack all packed and all ready to go out. Well we have got some more news here that Gen Keyes was in Richmond and last night there was a national salute fired at Deep Creek last night but I am afraid that "their music was barked up the wrong tree" as it was before and we hear also that the rebels were at Chambersburg Pennsylvania and if they are I am glad of it and hope that they will burn the city and then we may see something done towards closing this war and putting down this rebellion and the only way will be to burn every rebel city and village and show the rebels that we are determined to conquer or die and then there will be some thing done towards closing this war. A few decisive blows / struck just now would dishearten the South and encourage the North and give us a chance to return once more to our homes and those we love above all else on earth. By the way you shall be welcome if you will step in and take dinner almost any time with us but we should be very happy to know it a few hours before hand so that we might brush up and dust the chairs a little. Well we are going to have soft bread and butter fried bacon and eggs for dinner today and perhaps a little salt horse for a change for "always to eat roast turkeys makes one sick" at least so says towns fourth reader. (the old edition I mean.) By the way one of the 8^th Connecticut Reg got hurt this morning by a barrell of pork rolling over him and breaking his leg but doing him no other injury and in about fifteen minutes after a bale of hay weighing four hundred and fifty pounds rolled over a negro and after it got over him he jumped up and went off singing as merrily as could be and we had quite a laugh over it. Well "I reckon" you would not like to see me in Old Barnstead any more than I should like to be there and if I was there I think I should see you soon. I am very glad that the 13^th are going to have furloughs for they had a pretty hard time at the last battle but the 13^th is not suposed to have anything like the rest of the N. H. Reg because Col or Gen Dutton gave them the name of being the dirty thirteenth and the worst Reg in the Brigade. / By the way I have not had a letter from Ebben Adams for some time and begin to think that he has concluded not to write to me any more and Henry has not written to me yet and I guess he never means to write to me any more at least if he does he keeps it to himself pretty well and dont even tell me about it. I have not heard from him since he left Strafford and I got only one letter last week and that was from you and made up for the neglect of all of the rest and if I dont get a letter from you by Friday of each week I begin to think that I am not going to get any at all for I have not missed getting a letter from you each Friday but once for two months and that time it did not come untill Sunday because it was delayed on the road. Well I must close up my letter because I have got to go out on inspection so give my respects to all and here is love to you and a kiss for you and I remain your husband

Joseph H Prime

 

            Write soon

                                    Joe

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