Portsmouth June 7^th 1863

 

Dear Sister

                        Your last got here friday came through pretty quick. This A.M. I went over to Newtown to church they have a pretty good Union man there for a minister at any rate he preaches Unionism I sat in the choir. have very good singing.

 

This is the first time I have been off from duty on Sunday in some time. hope I shall keep off in the future.

 

Last night three more companies of our regiment came in town. Adams is here now. As I was on duty last night I brought Adams up to our quarters and he occupied my / bunk. I have not seen Helen Pitts since I wrote last shall go over again this week sometime I saw one of the teachers over here yesterday he said that the she was was still in Norfolk and now thought she would stay there

 

I am boarding yet. half of the company is boarding out at different places. You wont think it strange that our woman we board with is so strong Union when I tell you she is about as black as this ink. We call her Aunt Eliza. She thinks I am the best boy she has got. I suppose the reason is that I see to weighing out the rations for her every ten days. Four boys from Naples had a box come the same day mine came. As they all board there and all had butter we turned / in and sold the old lady our butter, so we shall have northern butter some time to eat. We got 40 cents a pound for it. There is a report that Col Johnson is going to stop our boarding out. if he does not I shall try and sell her my dried apples.

 

I sent my allotment home last tuesday. You want to know if I am lousey. I have not had them trouble me yet I keep a woolen yarn string tied around all the time I used to keep a piece of camphor gum in my shirt pocket but have got out Last winter one of the boys in our tent got some I guess though they were nothing but head lice. We had his hair cut and made him scrub him / self up and boil all of his clothes in tobacco juice. The lice left. Sol Sullivan got a letter from Joe to day I guess you directed it by the looks of the writing. Sol has had the measles awful hard but is getting out again now

 

Monday Morning

It is pleasant but quite cool I sent a Norfolk paper to Sam the other day. I put in those gloves you sent me that used to be Fathers I did not want them here and so thought I would send them home We did have got a new Chaplain He is from Seneca Falls He came last week I did not know until last night. saw him this morning for the first time. I got an Independent Sat. The vinegar leaked out of my pickles as soon as I took the keg out. I suppose the nails came out of the keg as soon as I took it out of the box. My shirts are all right and every thing else.

                                                                                   

Cha^s E Reed

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