Cav. Corps Hospital.

City-point Va O^ct 6^th 1864

 

Dear Sister Helen

                        I am very sorry that I am still obliged to address you from this point. For it would be a great deal more in accordance with my wishes either to be able to join my "Company" and "Regiment" or else be sent to some (General) hospital north, from which I should be more likely to be sent home. But it is doubtfull very doubtfull indeed about being sent North. I am pretty well now, but my stomach is very much out of order and I am firmly convinced it will not be any better unless I get north some-where, so that I can have a change of diet. Shall go to our dismounted soon whether I get better or not unless sent away soon for I am getting no better here, and it will be as well to go there and run my / the risk of being better or worse, as to stop here and get no better. I am on what they call light diet, tea, toasted bread, with a very little butter on it, and some-times none at all, and boiled rice or farina I believe they call it. The heavy diet consists of coffee, soft bread, boiled meat, a very poor kind of soup, which is simply the water in which the meat was boiled in, with nothing in it but old bread-crusts broke-up, and beans, also apple-sauce every night and just so sure as I eat a mouthfull of it I have the "Diarrhea" with severe pain, and in my own opinion the "Dyspepsia" is trying to get ahold on me. There! Aren't doleful enough. but, I believe it is the first complaint that I have made in my letters home. So you must make due allowance and hope for the best.

 

            Our Regiment 1^st Maine is doing duty on the left of "Gen Meade" command near the "Danville" rail-road. I belong Co. G. now instead of Co. I. so please bear that in mind / Things now look like a very speedy termination of this war by the "Capture" of "Richmond" by "Butler" and the annihilation of "Lees" army, which, is almost sure to follow. At last accounts our old division of "Cavalry" (Kautz) had been within musket range of the "Steeples" of R. and the Infantry was close behind.

 

            There will probably a desperate fight yet before the Rebs give up. I can hear the booming of very heavy guns in the direction of "Butler" who commands right of the Appomattox.

 

            I wish you would write what news they hear from "Chas. Farnham and Fred Williams". I have not heard from either of them since leaving Washington.

 

            Henry Whittemore is here in the hospital here very sick according to his story and I shall not dispute it, although I think he is not quite gone. Now as to my wants I want two pair of stockings, two shirts coarse blue drilling ones to wear out-side / also a pocket hand-kercheif, a roll and good supply of thread and a pair of good scissors none of your poor trash, and I will again before you send them I may want a pair of boots, too.

 

            There I must close now. it will not do to write too much at once, if I do I shall not have any thing to write next time. sent send me some papers, also some postage stamps. I will enclose a few sugar-cane seed, which Henry W. gave me At last accounts Dan. Gage was at with the regiment or rather in command of dismounted Camp

 

            Locomotive spead

                       

Your tyranical bro

Edgar Atkins              

 

Direct your letters to Co. G. 1^st Maine Cav.

Cavalry Corps Hospital City-Point Va.

 

P.S. Excuse all mistakes         EA.                  

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