Still Near Sharpsburg. Sept. 30 1862

 

My dear Wife,

                        I dont know what our long delay here is caused by and sometimes I feel as if I did not care, but here we are yet. Every morning the cavalry go over the river and every night they come back. Yesterday our whole brigade went over foraging—that is to say two thousand men wet their pantaloons and marched two miles to enable the battery to get three loads of hay. They said that we were to be gone only an hour; but I am getting to be an old soldier and knew better & took my haversack full of bread and cheese we returned just at sundown.                      

 

I availed myself of the opportunity to visit the bluff where the fight was that we looked upon a week since. it had been pretty well picked over before but I saw enough to satiate me two rebels lay there still black in death and rapidly turning to be skeletons. The ground was strewn with signs of the fight and the graves dotted the vicinity thickly.

 

            Our camp is one of the meanest kind. I share my wall tent (which has no fly) with the Major and Adjutant Shepard—Company officers are allowed a little wedge tent for the whole. L^t Col Prescott has never showed his head here yet. He is near Washington in charge of a camp of stragglers & deserters. /

Have you seen anything of Draper since his return? I have applied to have Mr Cobb assigned to the recruiting service. Say to him that I have received his letter and have no conveniences to encourage correspondence but want to know if he wants to be Captain. His horse is getting better & I have been obliged to put the Acting Adjutant on him my horse Mac being entirely flubbergasted.

 

            Lieut Shepard thinks Mr C's horse could only be equalled by riding a rail fence over a corduroy road.

 

            Capt Moulton who is the occasion for considerable fun in the regiment aspires to resign. A letter came for one of his men the other day addressed to "Mr So &So" Griffins Brigade, Morell's Division Moultons Army Corps.

 

            Another new officer Boyd has offered his resignation aspiring to be sutler. Mr John Hind's son is Lieut in Co I. Mr Hoyt is improving. I am wonderfully well occasionally feel feeble but generally right smart.

 

            I asked a North Carolina prisoner the other day for news of Kates family all he knew was that he had heard one of the boys was killed. I asked him if he was paroled to send word to D^r Hunter that his wifes family in the South were all well and he said that he would.

 

            This campaign cant last much longer. we have had no "live storm". After that comes and goes we should hardly have more than a month fit for military movement before winter. /

 

There is considerable talk about the proclamation and the Altoona Conference but not much excitement about anything.

 

            Give love from me to the family. I shall try to write to Frank tomorrow. I dont very often get a letter from you but like it when I do. Tell me all sorts of little news that is stirring & believe me always

                                                           

Affectionately Yours

Fran^k J Parker

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