A D 1862

March the 24^th

           

Dear Wife i take my pen in hand to you know that i am well and hope these few lines will find you the same We were paid five months wages which amounted to sixty eight dollars and three cents i am keeping all but sixty dollars which i send home i send it to father to lift the money which i think / is the best way if you are willing i will send the money to Kittanning by express which i think is the best way to send it it will be sent tomorrow i have to pay for cooking and the Captain got tobacco for the Company i got some and so i have to pay it but if i will need some i will send home for it but i think that we will be paid soon / again take care of yourself and remember me i think of you often i sent a letter to you last week John Jones sends his money i fathers care to if he will please to lift it i will send this letter in father letter too no more at present From your affectionate husband William Rees /

Write soon for i would like to hear from you

William Rees

 

receive my truest love

Mary Rees /

 

i will continue my epistle i could not get all i could scare up i was on guard when your letter came into camp i had the other sheet finished before i got yours therefore i opened the envelop and put this in it but i hope that it will be acceptable but if it will not be why you may throw it into the fire i believe it will burn i am sorry that you are troubled with the children that you mentioned in your letter i think that i shall be in no hurry to send plaything for the children i guess that / they must be sick and i am afraid that you will make a cross mother We have got to be very religious here now We have prayer and a chapter read there is no swearing if these rules are broken they have to stand guard for two hours i am glad that you are making yourself so contented and funy We are a good ways from Thomas Davis i heard from his regiment from Samuel Byers and others that i knowed the kind of guns that we got are what they call the prusian gun i saw a cannon that our men captured from the rebles at Drainesvill / it was at the armory on the banks of the Potomac i drank water from the river the tide was going out when i was there ships of a small size the talk this evening is that we will be discharged if we not join the regular you said in your letter that the next time that i went to war you wanted to go along but i do not think you will be bothered for i think that if i can get clear from this war i shall not want to go again it will be when you are no more but it tickles me about them children that they are such a bother i was in a study at first whether it was you or not that wrote it /

 

We were all inoculated this morning by the doctor the one that was sick of our Company Ephraim Hankey is getting better We are pretty well at i am first rate my candle is just done they are all in bed and i am afraid that you will be tired of writing reading

 

Give my best respects to your folks i do not think that we will leave here soon the candle and ink is done and i must finish the Capitol is illuminated in honor of some battle i suppose take care of yourself and keep the children quiet to

 

from your old man      W^m

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