Camp Stoneman

Sept 22^th 1864

 

Dear Father & Mother

With pleasure I will write a few lines hoping I may get one in return. I have been mooving around so much since I started from Hearts Island that I could not get time to write. And if I did you could not write to me but now I have got whare you can send one to me. Since we started from New York we have been to Fortress Monroe & from there up the James river to City point & staid there four hours & then come back and went / up the potomack to Washington We are in about two miles from washington in a very pleasant place "Alexandria" lays across the river whare we can look at it

 

we drew our equipments yesterday and some expect to draw our horses to day but I dont no. If we do we probly shall start for the Shandoa valley to our regiment but the rumor was this morning that we ware a going to stay here twenty days. if so we shall not draw our horses till we start Mother you will want to know how I fare I will tell you we have enough to eat and a very good place to sleep / we have good bread and coffee & beef and beens & rice & sugar and that is better than sweet cake or pie Edwin Jordan & I sleep to gether & cook to gether we have a good time a cooking & eating we dont do much just enough to get fat. the worst truble I find is the watter that is a little to rich to suit me but I dont drink much write and tell me whare Wallace is whether he is in the regiment or to dismounted camp he may be here but I guess not Mother I have just been out on drill and if you had seen me you would said I looked like fighting with my sabre and carbine but / perhaps I shall not get a chance to use them I hope not for they are savage tools to use Mother I see some Rebs when I was to city point. Some prisners they ware bringing in. they had just had a battle about 5 miles above there. we could hear the cannon plain Some of the rebs was bare headed some had no shoes

 

I must close for drill we have got to drill two hours and then I can have a chance to write to some one els

                                   

I remain your

Obediant Son

Ira A Torrance

 

[margin]

 

I just found that tea you put in to my sack and Ed & I had a good cup

SOURCES