Genral Hospital, Washington DC

Harewood Hospital

May ^th 12 1864

 

My Dear Wife

                        I thout I would improve a few moments in writing to you to let you know that I am still a live I suppose you have heard the news befour this time I went intouw a fite last thursday and I got a lite wounde on the backbuone it was a spent ball that hit me if it had not been spent it would of kild me as did as a nit it hit me rite whare my hips set on tow my back bone it wont last long I think I will goe back in the cors of a weak or tow but I dont think I will doe enney more fiting if I can help it we had the hardest / time you ever heard of or ever will hear of it was rite in the thick wood Ira was in the fite befour I was and came out all right but the regt sufferd awfull Charles is missing some think he is kiled and some think he is a prisendor it is hard to tell whare he is but I hope he will come out all right yet our regt got fits this time the most of them are wounded not but a few kiled in this fite to what their is in some because their was not much chance for to use artilra their is one of the boys out of my company hear with me he is wounded in the arm he is brother to John Koats wife you nead not write to me till you hear from me a gane for I dont think I will stay in this hospital long I think we will be moved soon at least I hope so / I think those men that are slitley wounded will be put intow a camp by them selves and make room for them that are worse off than we are this is all for this time I merley wrote this to content your mind because I new just as soon as you saw it in the paper you would not sleep a wink till you heard from me I am mity glad that it is not enney worse than it is if I dont move from hear in a few days I will write you a gane So I will close by bidding you good by for this time I hope this will find you and that little man well and I hope I will live to see the time when I can come home and see you all

 

this from your most affecttanate husband

           

Yours truly

D. W. Stannard

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