No 17)

St Charles La. April 29^th 1863

 

Dear Mary

                        As the mail steamer leavs for NY on the 1 of May I will try and write a few lines to my dear Wife and child. in the first place I am well the headache has left me and I feel tip top it is very warm but we have a fine breze every day I got up this morning and after breakfast of beens and buisket had a wash in our tent and put on clean clothes wahsed for myself and J. B. Wood. by the way I have taken his washing to do I expect if I ever get home the buisness for washer wimen will be played out. I have one shirt les to wash for myself as I have taken one off. we have something about uss nearly all the men have it it is called the camp itch when we get warm and put our hands on it it seams as if we wer on fire some of the men dig it and it makes raw sores as large as 10 ct peaces all over them mostly on the legs I have had a little of it for 3 months it comes out in red spots like shad scales and feels very bad but I donot dig it and none of it has broke out I wash in salt and water now I think that will cure it if that will not I am prety shure the climate of old Connect will. G^eo Camp came down on the cars to visite uss yesterday and went back today I think he loocks as well as I / ever saw him he says the boys in company C are all well Charles Briscoe has arrived and some other of the scedadlers we are happy to se them Hawly Beers and a Gooddall from Danbury has come to our company. I am shure I had rather have come with the Regt than come as they did I think we shal stand the heat of summer better for having ben here dureing the winter. George seams to think he should be contented in Taunton if he ever gets there. (Item) he gave me a little hint as though Am Tailors wifes management did not quite sute Am but I had no wish to enquire or if I had I didnot indulge it but keep your eyes open and your mouth shut is a good way to get along I think. John Peck is first Lieutenant but has little controle of the men. In your letter of Mar 19 you said you had cut out a garment that you wanted me to promace to lay still if I slept with with you when you wore it you nead give yourself the least uneasyness about makeing that garment as I shalnot let you ware it if I sleep with you but if you should get it done you had better not starch it just wash it clean and I will pay for all the starch you will nead to make it stand after we have slept together one night all you will nead will be to hang it out to dry and iron it bosom and all espetialy all. you imagine starch is scerce here I think if you wer here and could se how stife things things are here every morning you would change your mind and we have to pay but little except stay away from home /

you wonder if I remember comeing to your house with a boil I think I do and meany a night we have spent together and I long to come home and spend more with you in the quiet of our own home it seams by your letters you are troubled to find what to write that is just the cace with me it is so dul here there is nothing to make a letter of I like the last letters you write they seam to be free and every day like and that is what I like I know how it is at home I know you are very buisy but take care and not hert yourself cleaning house if Father thinks I am gouing to sleep under the bed he will get mistakened if I ever get to Taunton if I cannot stand it to sleep on a soft bed I will have a plank on top of the beadstead I will at least have the privelage of sleeping on a beadstead and you nead not fear about my geting mashed if I have nothing heaver than Mary and Hattie over me but I shal claim the privelage of laying on top part of the time. I think you are geting along some if you have got tuins I hope you will nerce them nicely you are geting nearly as fast as Ordely Cole he has some early sead he was maried about the 10 of Oct my old mans wife writes Mrs Cole had a girl baby the 13 of April just 6 months and a day from the time they wer maried if that isnot one kind of early seed where will you find any Sam A asked me if I was gouing to follow sute I told him no Sir and asked him if he wanted to he said he wanted to keep up with the rest of uss and didnot know but he would if I would. I think it will be / a very easy matter for him to keep up with uss as we have none of the easy kind of seed have you herd any thing from Sams wife since we left I saw Fred today gouing up on the train he is well and gaining flesh. we have a sight at a few rebs nearly every day they are poorly clothed some no shoose and are a dirty set of men

 

Thursday morning the last day of April I am a month nearer home ant you glad I am and I hope soon to meet you face to face but while we hope to meet again on earth let us prepare for whatever may be in store for us. I have ben up to Uncle Nelsons this morning and red them what Father and Mother wrote they wer very much pleased and thanked me and send their love in return in makeing change to get my pay I had no small bills left and had 2 $20 I gave one to Aunt Hannah in exchange for small bills I shal express $25 to you John is a gouing to send the same to his wife we shal put it in seperate envelopes and put both in one and consign all to N Seely Father can get yours by calling at his offace I expect it will cost less to send it in that way if you and Father think it best to to put in the bank and you do not nead it to use you can do so you must do as you think best I hope we may be spared to enjoy the money that we earn at the cost of all comfort. the time is geting shorter take courage and pray for Edwin

           

As I have room I send a kiss to Hattie and M E Benedict

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