Washington Aug 10^th 1863

 

Dear Parents

                        I received your letter and was surprised to find that it was written in your hand writing for I expected that you had not gone to New Haven also I think I give Father a pretty good hint to write at least once in a year but he did not and to day I enter on the second year of my enlistment on thanksgiving day I went to a Pic Nic and in the evening we had a party at the reading room dancing and singing made a pleasant evng pass quickly away I took a severe cold as I was quite warm when it broke up and of course some one must see the young Misses home and I had to go as a matter of course with a young lady whose Mother has been a great friend to us poor soldiers / and I passed a verry poor night last night and I feel a little better this morning but my bones ache pretty bad now but I got some Cyane pepper and my sore throat is a good deal better and if I ever should have a fit of sickness I had as lives be here in Campbell as any where this is the best hospital in the USA service we have a printing and telegraph office also post office theatre (it has closed now on account of the warm weather) also a reading room and library all connected with the hospital I got a letter from Jerry also from W^m Adams billy had just seen loomis he said he never saw him look better in his life the second NY are nearly all killed Jerry writes that he has received the pistol (you can tell Hiram of it) I am the only one left of my Company out of seven that came here when I did the 20^th have sent home after conscrips Sergeant Barry of Haddam has gone from Co A 20^th they have drafted here in this city one thing I have never spoke of we have a nigger / patrol in this city I think it is one of the greatest curses that ever befell our once happy country to allow such thing and that right in the Capitol of our once united states sooner than have one of them stop me I would shoot them like a dog I never saw the boys so down on them as since they have begun to parade our city let us import Africa over here at once and let the next President be F A Douglass you may think I have turned but I have not changed my views last spring I would not vote for neither a Copperhead or Abolitionist but enough of this for the present the sixth Conn planted their banner on the enemy works and still we dont see any thing about them but the 54 Mass (nigger reg) is spoken of in the highest praise the govmt give them $25 a month to drive a team a (Private white soldier) gets the large sum of $13 a month there has not been much / news of late we have had 4 fires within a week I am glad to hear that Father gets along so well with farming as he does Mr Howard of the 8^th N.J. Reg leaves for home on Tuesday he lives in Washington St Newark he knew  me as soon as he see me but I must close Remember me to all

                                                                       

Your Affect Son

George

 

Dont worry about my health

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