U. S. Arsenal Hosp.

Washington.   

August 10^th 1864        D.C.

                       

Dear Father Mother Sisters & Brothers I now take pen in hand to do as Jane asked me to do I have just received in the 4 Oclock mail your kind and welcom letter and was hapy to hear from you and more so to hear that you wer all in good health my health is about the same old sort. The nuse from the armie is glorious General Averril has captured near 500 prisoners 4 pieces of artilery and a large quantity of other / material of war and is now after the flying Rebs they are in full retreat for Richmond the main force of the Rebles are at Winchester There is also good nuse from General Sherman he has nearly surrounded Atlanta. report is in circulation of the sucksess of ower arms at Mobeal but to what extent i am unable to state. The steamer New World is now lying at the Navy Yard it is a very larg steamer the largest one that was built before the Great Eastern it has been used for a floating hospital but has now been relieved from that / duty I will try and give you an idea of the sise of the boat it is about as long as from that apple trea by the dore to the corner of the fence out towards Mrs Riders and is about 50 or 75 ft wide and has fore decks and then a small deck on top of about 2 ft in highth. It is about as high as a 4 story house this is as near as i can discribe this vessel by just seaing it pass or rather saw it lying in the stream about 40 rods from me. The bugle sayes lights out so i will draw to a close there is not mutch nuse here / Ammunition & arms are ariving here all the while and this is the way time passes the weather is very warm the Thermomitor stood at 95 i believe in the shade at 12 oclock and at 90 at 5 oclock in the afternoon leaveing you all in the care of God i will close.

                                               

my best respe to all

Good by

From your loveing

Sone & Brother

W^m. A. Clark

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