George S. Palmer to Brother, 1 May 186X
Campbell Hospital April May 1st
 
Dear Brother
                        Your welcome letter of the date with one from home came both in the same mail it was quite a treat to me for I felt a little home sick just about that time it cheered me up a good deal we have verry exciting news from the the Army of the Potomac the 12th Army Corps is the one in action and the only one as far as I can learn the rebs crossed the river and seized some hard tack that we had there (it was left for a bait the same as we bait fish) and the report is they got A-1 we have fine warm weather just at present and it seems as if it would be quite a fine thing to be in the country at home this summer but God only knows whether I ever shall or not a verry fine young fellow from Ohio we felt bad to part / with him but such is soldiers life that we dont seem to think anything about them after the breath leavs them Mother was pretty well so was Father they expect that the Sage affair will come off before long Mr Wright the Post master has lost both of his children it must be a sad loss to him and his wife there is no prospect of my leaving here at present as I am detailed by the surgeon in charge of the hospital to stay here it is not my wish to stay but Doctor says I am not fit to leave and as long as he says so just so long I will have to stay so that for the present I am detached from my regiment but I shall go as soon as they will let for I ache to see the boys once more but dear brother dont ever think of enlisting for the state service even if you could be inside of a Washington hospital once I dare / say that you would thank your stars that you are exempt from a draft when a young man in our ward is just about gone with the consumption and he gets a discharge and all it needs is the doctors name to let the poor fellow go home to die he will not sign his name to it but tears it up and that young man lies between life and death the one that died after the breath left his body they cut him up to find out what is the matter with him I know these to be facts it is enough to make a person sick of the war it is so through all the hospitals if you will send two or three postage stamps and charge them to me you will oblige me for I cant get time to get them and we dont expect any pay before the 20th
 
Write soon     
 
your Affete Brother
George S Palmer
12393
DATABASE CONTENT
(12393)DL1797.012188Letters186X-05-01

Tags: Conscription/Conscripts, Death (Military), Discharge/Mustering Out, Enlistment, Food, Homesickness, News, "Rebels" (Unionist opinions of), Weather

People - Records: 2

  • (4430) [writer] ~ Palmer, George S.
  • (4431) [recipient] ~ Palmer, Francis King

Places - Records: 1

  • (75) [origination] ~ Washington, DC

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SOURCES

George S. Palmer to Brother, 1 May 186X, DL1797.012, Nau Collection