last day of Nov. /61

 

            Dear Sister

                                    your letter was recieved with plesure and I now set down to answer it this is a cold day and I am injoying my self by reading one of those papers that John Johnston sent me as there is no drill to day when I cast my eyes to the top of this paper and see that most beutiful word Pennsylvania it makes me think of home and no word so sweet to me as that word is when on guard these nights it makes me think of the hapy times that is go and I hope soon to return the cold winter has come at last and before we was aware of it it was 4 months on the 23 day of this month since I left home and it seems as but a few days / and a more plesant 4 months I never spent but little did I think when I left home that 4 months wold find me on the sacred soil of virginia with nothing but a few shot and shell from the enimey I thought that I wold be ether layin on the field of batle in the defence of my country or be home with my friends injoying the plesure of home and its teachings yet this day still finds me in camp on the sacred soil of the Old dimion state how long we may stay there is no telling but I think the war must soon come to an end the South will eventily come to terms the war may be a long and hard one but there is no doubt of the final results they will eventily have to be conquerd it may be at the los of both blood and money but what is the diferns about the money there is thousands who are geting rich by cheeting the soldiers but they will have to answer for their vain / selfs not us. if it had not been for the love of money this war wold not of been fot all is for the best and for our own good there is plenty who think that this war will be the end of slavery they think that we are fighting for that caus but as well as I love all of my frinds and my country if I thought that I was fighting for to free the slaves I wold desert from the army. I belive that to extend slavery wold be very bad to put famleys in slavery yet I wold not fight for there fredom. all parts shold be done away with and all shold turn their whole hart upon there countrys good if all wold fly to the rescue of there country this Rebelion wold soon be dun away with we (that all those of us who will be spared to see there homes) will soon be there but if it is my lot to fall (which I think will not be the case) to fall in the field of batle I will very willingly submit, but if spared to get home then I will meet / friends who will recive me with arms of love altho here I am hapy there I will be hapyer still but enough I forget my self and run of the tracs it were news I wanted to write altho they are very scarce we are all well those moveing orders we got were like all of the rest we got they amounted to nothing tomorow will be our day for picket I think if so we will have from all apperenc a good day for it and we will get Balls house to quarter in and will have a good time of it if we go we have got to cook for our self I do not like it very well as long as we are in camp it will do but when on a march it will not do so well I can cook for our mess and have got a stove to cook on well I must close hoping to here from you all soon tell luretta I will rite to her tomorow if I get time

                                                           

I still remain your brother

  Samuel A Lyon

 

Miss M. A. C. Lyon                                                  

write soon

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