Camp Stoneman

Oct 5^th 1864

 

Dear Father & Mother

I will once more write you a few lines to let you know I am well & also the rest of the boys But I dont know whether you are well or not for I have not received a word from any of you And I have wrote four or five to you besids one to Sherm I got one from Lucy dated the 27^th and that is every word I have heard from home since I left home You eather dont write or they dont come strait and I dont know wich

 

I give you the right directions I know for that one I got from / Lucy come threw in 2 days

 

I have been here two weeks to day and it seams as tho I ought to get one from you by this time for I wrote to you the next day after I got here Lucy sayed that Eunis was dead and also Sarah Ann boy I was sorry to hear such bad news. what will become of Parkers famly with no body to care for them And I should think Sarah Ann would be nearly crasy to take out two from the famly so quick I have not seen Ephraim yet but Lucy sayd he was on Hearts Island I have been looking for him evry day I am afraid he will not get in to this company if he dont come before long but I think he will be here before long 

 

Mother I have drew my horse and I have got a real nice one I hapend to get one that had been in the army before so I wont have to break him you know I was always luckey there is some of them got horses that is ofel ugly and they get throwd off some times but my horse is just as kind as any horse can be he will stand as still and let me swing my sabre all around his head and he wont even wink Edy & Sy has got good ones two we have a good deal of fun out on drill with our horses there is about two hundred that goes out on drill we have to go threw the same performance as we would if we was on picket or on a skermish line they do that to learn us but I guess they / will have to keep us here a spell for we are all green. My horse knows more about it than I do

 

Mother I have to onbuton the top buten of my pants they ar getting to small I have gained 7 pounds since I came from Plattsburgh Uncle Sams rations is fatting me right up I will send you the directions once more for fear there is something wrong about it

 

I must close

           

From your Son

Ira A Torrance

           

Direct to

Ira A Torrance

Second New York Cavalry

Camp Stoneman

Washington DC

In care of Capt

W H Sanger

 

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Mother dont be thinking about me all the time and woring for I am perfectly contented and having a good time

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