Feb the 9^th 1863 Monday

 

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Recvd 17

 

Camp Near Brooks Station

 

Dear Father Mother Brother and Sisters

I once more sit down with pleasure to write you a few lines to let you no that I am well and hope these few lines may find you all the same I received a letter from you yesterday and was very glad to hear that you was all well and also very glad to hear that henry got home all right you wanted to no how henry stood the march and how he was held and wether he said any thing about home he stood the march very well and carried his napsack and when we got to the court house he helped me fix up our house but he did not eat any thing all that day and the next day he did not eat much and had a bowel complaint and had to run every hour or so and that night he / said he did not lay very good and had to run 3 or 4 times in the night and the next day me and him went and cut a lot of pines and put them in our bunk and that night he laid prety well only he had to run 2 or 3 times and then he complained about getting week and kept on getting weeker till the captain told him he had better go to the hospittle and when he went to the hospittle I went over with him and the next morning I went to see him and he said he was no better and then I went back to camp and then I had to go out on picket and did not see him again untill the next day about noon and then he was worse and then I told him I was a going to write home for his Father to come out and he said I should tell him he was / as well satisfied here as any where else so I went over and commenced to write and got it done and then it would not go out until the next day. when I got it done I went back again and was with him untill he died he did not say a word about home but he told me who he owed and told me to pay them which I did and about 10 minutes before he died he asked me to give him a drink of water which I did and that was the last words he said he seemed to die very easy

 

Tell uncle Jo that I sold his boots for him I got five dollars for them and that was all they were worth and I gave the money to the captain and he said he would send it home The ten dollars I sent by mail is gone I gess but I sent 22 dollars to doylestown bank by express I thought I would make sure of that / so if you will please go and get it I will be much a blige to you we are still at brooks Station and have fine times here

 

I have been out after sheep 2 or 3 times since I have been here but they are so wild that I cant get within 2 or 3 hundred yards of them but my pig hant all gon yet

 

we have fine times here we can get on the cars and go most any where around here without costing any thing or a pass when we hant at work

 

I must now stop writing for this time so give my best respects to Spenser grand pap grand mother and all the rest of my friends

 

So I will once more bid you

 

good buy all                           

William Swartz

                                               

Andrew Swartz

 

Please write soon

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