Washington Arsenal,

Washington, D C., August 4^th, 1864.

                       

Dear Father Mother Sisters & Brothers

I now take pen in hand to write a few lines to you acknowlageing the kind and welcomb letter and am hapy to hear that you are all well as usual only a little warm and i am also hapy to say that my health is about the same as usual and as near as i can judge we have had ower share of what we call warm weather the Thermomitor has been upwards of 120 degreas above zero in the sun and has been over 95 in the shade so you can judge for your selfe as to the weather. a day or two ago we had a splendid shower but the air is again on the increas as to warmpth but I have not suffered / mutch as yet today i have been out on the wharf in company with the Doctor also Major J. G. Benton Commander of the Arsenal and two Leutenants wer there fishing we caught about 75 small fish. the kind is as follows White Parch Common Pearch Sunfish White Catfish Smelt and one Eel we have a great deal of sport once in a while fishing Majors wife Mrs Porter the Doctors wife also some ladies that are on a visit to the Majors. All of them have to go a fishing every other night then we have sport for nearly all of them are afraid of fish and when we catch one we are sure to let it run into their line so they will pull up and then make them take the fish off while we are untangling the lines then we clame the fish. The fish now are running very small and i / have about given up the idea of trying to catch a deasent sized fish any more when we first began about 2 months ago we then had good luck catching cat fish that weighed from one pound to 5 pounds and also suckers they bight at the hook just the same as any fish but sutch luck is gon now and i think we shall have to postpone for a while.

 

N.B. There was another accident here yesterday eavening while 10 men belonging to the Ordinance Company was out in a sail boat the boat capsised and one man was drowned his body lay in the river near 12 howers before being found but was found after a thorough search with boat hooks. the Funeral is to be tomorrow on account of this day being Fast nothing has been done in the shape of work I was not busy day / before yesterday so i thought i would cast up one pile of 10 inch shells and now i will give you the number of the shells in length and breadth and highth and you send in your nex letter how many shells in the pile. length 70 shells, breadth, 9, highth 9. and then after you get that you just tell me how many balls there is in a 3 cornered or triangle shaped pile of balls that is 9 balls high wide long and in fact any side up it is all the same just let me know the No in boath piles at you leasure for it nearly stuck me to cast it right. as it is late I will close sending you all the love and best wishes of your loveing Sone & Brother hoping soon to hear from you all i remain as ever  Good Night

                                                                                                           

W^m A Clark

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