Harewood Hospital

Aug. 30, 1863

 

Sarah

                        I recieved three letters this week one from you and one each from Father and Mother I hope this will find you well and all of the rest of my aquaintances so Rosina has got a baby I think Jo Pratt had better come to the war or hold up or draw back on such occacions but if it had been a boy I would not said a word for I think that the boys will be needed before this thing is brought to a close not but what we can whip the south but England and France has got to be attended to one of these days and I hope before long You wrote me one thing and that is / not to do any thing rong Sarah I must answer you in this way before I will disgrace you and my chrildren and yours I would die I new what I had got to go through when I come out hear and you did not no any thing about it but I was willing to suffer for my country and I am of the same opinion now as I had then so you no need to put your self to any troble about that for I will never disgrase you but let me come home or not as I am bound I will stay and stand it like a man I hope I shall stay hear long enuf to get my money and then I will send you some we shall be musterd to morrow but will not get our money untill the middle of the month and then I / will send you some You may think some times that I might do diferant but a man that is under miletary diseplin has nothing to say but do as thay tell you to do and then you get along well enuf it is true I am in the Hospital to day whilest I am writing to you but whire I shall be to morrow God onely knows for I am shure I do not but thay have not done any thing with me yet and as I wrote to you that I asked for a furlough but you see the barracks that I am in chainged Doct so when the time comes right I am a going to ask him for a furlough if I stay here I have just been and seen to of my friends off that belong to the 2^nd Maine Reg. thay are agoing in the 1^st Battalion of the / Inviled Corps thire is two battillions first and second to do garison and nurse duty and I may be put in to one of them yet to do some duty I do not think I shall ever go back to my Reg. again but I may but let come what may I am reddy for it so Father has been at home and I hope you all had a good time You did not say a wird about who you see in Suansey did you see Uncle Bengamin and aunt Sarah and how are thay getting along and all the rest of my Swansey friends I was glad you sent me the the paper for it done me a good deal of good to look over a paper from home and I hope you will send me one every week the next letter you wright I want you to say somthing to Andrew Briggs for I see him most every day / and he wants to hear from you somthing he would like to know how his mother gets along and if you ever see Hannah Hathaway You can inquire of hir and then you can write to me and I will tell him when I see him for Andrew realy wants to hear from his mother he dose not dair to write becaus he is a deserter and he gose by the name of Charles Stevens here in Washington I want you to tell your Father to go to James Brown the lawyer and tell him that I want him to see to that prise money or send my papers to the Massachusetts Agent Gardner Tufts No 4 Washington Building cor 7 St and Pen. Ave., and he / will attend to it for me as soon as he getts the papers say to him that I do not understand the fifty Dollars that his pardner Mr Reed spoke to Sarah abut the understanding was that the business was to be done for a presenttage the same as lawyers do that business here and in New York. You can let your Father have this part of the letter and let my friend Brown read it.

                       

I am glad the Chrildren are well and I hope thay will continue so I want Henry to go to school and lirn all he can and be a good boy and then there is Fanny You must tell hir Father wants hir to be a good girl and she must go to school with hir little brother Henry one of / these days I hope this will find Mother well and tell hir that I am much oblige for her letter for in it she spoke of the Chrildren or thay would have been left out and I hope that thay always will be spoken of in your letters to me I would like to see you all and as you say somthing may turn up that it may be so I am getting along verry well except my cough which trobles me a good deal especely nights but I keep up good currage and hope it will turn out all right one of these days I think that Charlestown will be ours before long and that the old flag will wave over that hot bed of rebellion and the war is surtainly going on nicely at this time and I hope before long that the rebellion will fall away like the morning / dew before the sone Sarah you must no that there is somthing rong with me or thay would not keep me here so long it is almost three months scence I came in to this Hospital and thire has been a good manny chainges here scence I came here You must give my love to Addeline and tell hir that she must take the chrildren to meeting with hir for I do not think you go very often [faded] will find you all in good health and you must keep up good spirits and always remember that tide and time wates for no man and let us all hope for the best [faded] Good By          Joseph

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