No 25

Algiers July 3^d 1863

 

Dear Mary. Here it is the 3 of July and I am stil in Algiers Depot writeing to my own Dear Wife much as I had hoped to be with you to selebrate the 4 I am bound to be disapointed and shal most likely spend the day in a most dul and lonely maner I do feal very lonely as I have lost John, Sam, Ordely Cole, and all my nearest and best friends in our company there is 25 of us left part of them are in the Hospital 2 are wounded slitely we have one sergeant left John B Clapp I have ben over to the City to se him once he is not able to do any thing what the Rebs have done with the remainder of our men and offacers I cannot learn. what there is of us are with what there is left of Companies D, I, C, H with Lieut Quin of Comp K and all under the command of Colnol Colburn of the 12 Con /

there is 2 men of Comp C and one Lieut that hapened to be in NO sick the rest we know nothing about the Lieut is from Waterbury. Fred Dunham, W^m P Malory were taken prisoners at the Hospital at Lafourch and paroled Fred was left there to attend to burying Lieu Stan some that wer there came down on a handcar Doc Trobrage and the most of the others that wer taken there remained to care for the sick or rather wounded and but one of them belonged to our army the remainder wer Rebs I have ben in hopes that our men from Brashear would come in I did not expect they would parole our commishioned offaceers but it has ben so long since they wer taken I begin to think they have taken them all off towards Texas we are in the meanest fix now that we have ever ben in since we came out no offaceers except Quin and he is not much better than none one sergeant from I / that never was good for any thing a Corporal from Com D acting Ordely that cannot call half of the names rite all there is of this micksed up jam number about 60 men we have had but very little to do for the last 4 days 6 men and 2 Corp on guard every day we are subject to Coln Colburns call at any time in the night or day. we had our last trip on the cars last Sunday and glad was I as I have had all the rideing of that kind I want. the other comp that are left are up on the race coarce on NO side I went over there on Monday the 29 Oscar was in the Hospital and I could not find him they have got 2 months pay our pay rolles are all lost and Quin is trying to get out some more so that we can get our pay but I do not think he will make out much if he does I think the $25 to send home will come short as I have to get most of my liveing myself and every thing is dear here I paid 50 cts for a cup of coffee what bread I wanted and som ham for dinner yesterday. we have nothing for breakfast beens for dinner and I could not go that

 

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I get what they call milk about one third water for 5 cts a pint and eat bread and milk it is the cheapest liveing I can get I shal use the last envelope and the last sheat of paper but one in this letter I have 3 stamps and $7.80 in money I think I am rich /

 

I hope we shal be luckey enough to get our pay as I shal get short before we get home if we do not leave here before the 14 of August and I se but very little prospect of it now it is a shame now it is near 10 months since I enlisted I am better of than some I have got my napsack and all my cloths some have lost everything and have not a change all I have lost is my gun and equipments but enough of this I hope this business will play out some day and I shal yet get home I received a paper the last mail but one in wich I found the death of Charles and that he was brot to Sony Hill and burried that is a hard blow for his parents and wife but we hope he is better off than he could be in this country of war I J Williams said his wife met you at J Jenkinses a short time since perhaps you would like to have me write a word about myself I am well and geting nearly as strong as ever except that the heat makes me feal heavy and tired all of the time but I hope I shal be able to stand it a few weeks longer. we are daily in hopes to hear of the fall of Port Hudson as we think that will have a great deal to do with our comeing home. and now Mary how do you do does Hattie grow so fast the house wont hold her how is Father Mother and all the famely I beleive they have given up writing to me as I hear nothing from them I read of strawbery festavles up there you must eat a good lot for me as I shal get none it does not seam pocable that it is time to get hay there but I know it is and that we have one lot that had aut to be cut now I wish I was there to help get it. If we start for home by the first of August I shal not get the answer to this if you send one but there is no knowing when we shal start you had better write a few lines for fear I shal not come. keep up good courage and think of your Devoted Edwin

           

To Mary E Benedict and Hattie

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