Portsmouth Oct 13/62

 

Brother Sam

                        I received your's written the 3^rd the 8^th. I was glad to hear from home but sorry to hear that Father was worse hope to hear that he's better next time I hear from home. I wrote to you from Suffolk the same day that you wrote to me and wrote to Tom last week. You see that we have changed our stopping place I dont know how long we shall stay probably till we get well fixed up here. We had orders to leave Suffolk by Sat. morn but did not get ready to start till six o'clock It rained all the afternoon first rain we have seen here. We had to stay in the / street in the rain till about 11 o'clock was'nt it pleasant though had to ride down on top of a car did not rain much in the road I got pretty chilly. When we got to Portsmouth we we went into a warehouse to sleep. My blanket was dry took off my boots and put on a pair of dry socks slept well

 

Sunday morning it rained went out and tried to find something to eat, had to pay 50 cents for a dish of oysters no crackers two cup of coffee had all the oysters I wanted to eat. About 10 o'clock we started for camp ground 2 miles away through the mud and rain some of the way the boys had to go over shoe. I was thankful I had boots got to camp ground. it looked pretty hard. Our tents were these little shelter tents such as they use on marches We got some boards and stuck / ours up the best we could but the boards were wet and our clothes were wet kept my blanket dry I rolled myself in it slept well I believe I can sleep any where. This morning it is raining still and no signs of its clearing off. I suppose we will have some larger tents before long

 

Portsmouth is a nice place some fine buildings in it a good many Union people here they tell me. I saw Almeron last tuesday went down to their camp and stayed all day I tried to get down the day we came away but couldnt.

 

I wrote to Tom to have you send me some things in Sleght's box, it will be of no use now but if you have any chance to send them, do it. There are not many troops here all we shall have / to do is picket and drill

 

I suppose you are husking corn at home how does it turn out Tell John I would like to lead him about one day

 

At Suffolk Gen Foster wanted to cut us up and fill up old Reg the Col. told him he couldnt see it that his men enlisted under him and they were going to fight under him. Foster told him that he would have orders to leave in less than 24 hours and he did They aint fooling Col Johnson a great deal We did not get brigaded there

 

Tell Willie I would like to see him does he go to Sunday school now. Although we have been gone only three weeks it seems much longer we have moved around so much I wrote to Nat last week you must write oftener than I do amongst you I would like to get a letter a week

 

Direct to Portsmouth

C E Reed

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