Put your letters in care of the Provost Sergt. instead of Col Johnson

 

Norfolk July 26^th 1863

Sunday Afternoon

 

            Brother Sam

                                                I have just read your letter. Money all safe. It is very warm here. We had quite a heavy rain tuesday P.M. I am still in Norfolk doing provost duty. The report is that we had marching orders to N.York during the riot but that they were countermanded There is report that some of our company Regt are going home after conscripts If I was in the company I might stand a chance of going as it is I dont expect to. There are a good many going home on that business.

 

If John is drafted I wish he could / get in our company. I understand our Reg. is to be filled up. If he could I guess he would not find it as bad as he imagined.

I went down to Fort Monroe last week just for a ride It is a delightful ride. The boat runs down in less than an hour (18 miles).

 

I see Helen Pitts quite often now She is well and getting along first rate with her school She wanted to be remembered to you all. Do you ever get any papers I send you

 

Adams company is out to the Fair Grounds. I saw him Friday he is well Spear's Cavalry & the Mounted Rifles have gone off on a scout started yesterday morning I suppose they have gone down / in N Carolina. Almeron has gone with them.

 

About that wheat. There is no wheat grown about here although it is a pretty good country. All they raise here is garden truck lots of it is shipped to Baltimore every day such as cucumbers tomatoes peaches &c. I have not seen a quart of wheat since I have been here. When out in Princess Anne I saw small piece of wheat that looked pretty well and that is about all have seen. Water melons are coming in market now. I have had all the peaches I wanted to eat a number of times and have tasted one melon You will find the measure of my foot enclosed. I wrote / how I wanted them made you may get them made now if you want to but need not send them till I write.

 

I wish you would get some more paper collars and put in them and some paper & envelopes. Paper is awful high here I want my boots made in eights the fellow that measured my foot said that they would be plenty large, but I guess they had better be pretty large eights I dont want them to pinch my toes.

 

I guess we will get our pay in little while again. You will notice in the Times the death of John Masseth He was detached from the company when we were at Suffolk. I never was much acquainted with him We do not get half as good board here as we did in Portsmouth at our old Black womans. She invited me over to dinner the other day as she was going to have something extra but I could not go     

 

Love to all

Your Afft—C E Reed

 

[side margin]

 

Lots of bed bugs here, but they dont trouble me much

SOURCES