Finley Hospital.                     

Washington D.C.       

May 29. /64

           

Dear Sister,

                                                Your last letter succeeded in stopping at this place but none of the others have been so fortunate. I think there will be quite a pile of them accumulate in the regiment if they do not begin to make their appearance here pretty soon.

 

When I left the regiment Sunday (8^th) I left word with Loomis to look out for them if any come for me and keep them until I should get settled down in some Hospital, when I would write and let him know where I was that he might direct them over to me. I wrote to him more / than a week ago, but as yet no answer has come back. The army is on the move so much of the time now that they do not get many chances of writing to any one and it may possibly be that he has been wounded or perhaps killed. I heard several days ago that Chamberlain and George Green of Company I. had been killed and that news came through Providence, so you see that news does not reach us very early that is news concerning our regiment It seems by the papers that the Sixth corps has been in reserve for several days past and probably have not suffered very severely of late.

 

            I have had a letter from Benedict the State Agent, and one of his clerks was here this last week and stopped some time with me. They offered to transfer all that wanted to be to Portsmouth Grove immediately, but I had full / as lives stay here until the regiment comes along and go home with it. I do not know as I could be discharged here very well, and there has no descriptive list come yet. If I had thought I would have got a furlough when I first come here and then reported to the Adjutant Gen. of R.I. and it would have all been right here then when my furlough had expired O! Well. I'll get out of it some time if not sooner. it will be rather doubtful about my being home a week from tomorrow, but I will make it work before many days after. I was afraid that you or Pa or some body would be showing themselves out here expecting to find me with a leg arm or head off. If my letter hadnt come that day would some of you been out along this way?

 

Well then the ball went in on top of my shoulder cutting off my canteen going through my haversack strap / coming out of the back of my neck low down some where in the neighborhood of the backbone. If my head had been up straight it might have made worse work than it did, but I had it down taking sight in the act of firing. the very instant the gun went I felt something trying to punch a hole in my shoulder. I straitened up to see whether I was dead or not and concluded that I wasnt so I left before some other southern gentleman could draw bead on me. It is getting along nicely and I was almost tempted to go to Fredericksburg last week and go to the reg^t so as to come home with them but I concluded to stay where I was well off. I rather think I should try it able or not able if the reg^t come along to go with them.

 

I guess war dont agree with you folks at home if thats all you weigh. I think I would beat you all. Have a good lot of hot biscuit ready over home one of these fine days. L.C.C.

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