Before Petersburg Va

Sept 5^th 1864

           

Dear Sister

                        T'is two weeks to day since I left home and have not yet had a line from any one although have writen some half dozen letters. if was in the department of the South should not think so much of it, but here where we get a mail every day it is quite a different thing. After liveing the gentleman so long it is pretty hard to take up with the lot of a soldier again even to one who has friends & home to hear from. how much more so must it be to those who to all intents and purposes are without either have often / heard it remarked that one of the principal causes of demorilization in the army arises from the fact of friends at home failing to write frequently to their members of their family who may be in the army. I decline testifying as to the truth of the assertion but intend to do something much more desperate than becomeing demoralized if I do not hear from home very soon. I propose to invest a dollar by the insertion of a "Special Notice" in the Waverly Magazine soliciting a correspondance with all the loyal people of the North and particularly with the unmarried ladies of an uncertain age who at the close of the war would welcome with a warm heart and outstretched arms the return / of a disbanded volunteer.

 

I joined the regt a week ago to day. this is my fourth day's duty in the trenches & we have 48 hours in the front and 48 in rear. to day there is but one officer beside myself with the regiment three others having been sumoned to attend a Court Martial as witnesses, and one was so unfortunate as to get within the rebel lines last night while attempting to visit our pickets.

 

There was some very heavy artillery fireing along the whole line last night between 10 PM & 1 AM this morning, said to be in honor of Shermans victory in Georgia—on our part I dont know what object the Johnies had in view. if it was to hurt somebody, their / effort so far as I know was a miserable failure.

I reckon their list of casualties was about as large as ours.

 

            The middle of the day is several degrees above comfortable nights quite cool

 

            My health is good as usual. am not able to wear a belt for any length of time oweing to wound. otherwise it does not trouble me any.

                                   

As ever thy brother Adam

 

48^th NYST

2^d B 2^d D 10 AC

Washington

 

Hattie H Lippincott

            Harrisonville

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