G W Stickney

Camp Russel

Dec 7^th 1864

 

Dear Mother

This evning I will improve my time in answering your letter which I received to day and was glad to here from you but was sorry to hear that you had not heard from me in so long a time But it is not my falt for I have writen to you as often as onse a week and have wrote to Lucy twise a week but the male has been captured I think Mother I am well and tough as I could ask for I have not been sick a day since I come down here and a offel apetite 

 

Mother you spoke of Daniel Otis being taken prisoner He is a prisoner he was taken in the battle that we had on the 12^th of November or at least I supose he is for he has not been heard from since Mother I come just as neer of beeing taken that day as any body ever did and not I thought they was our men because they had so many blue coats on so I road right down in amonst them with some more of the pioneers and they told us to surender but we put spurs to our horses and left and then they fired at us a whole volley but did not hit / any of the pioneers but I saw a sargent fall right close by me but that is nothing to see men shot I saw one man shot right in the mouth in the last battle of the 22^th of last month I just saw a man leg cut off to day he shot him self in his tent and had to have his leg cut off but I guess I wont write any more about battles for you wont no any more about it then if I did not say any thing but then some of these old soldiers dont care any thing about a battle for the last battle we had I saw one of them eating a hard tack when the / rebs was fireing at us like fun

 

Mother Ephraim has got in to this regiment all right He took super with me to night we had hard tack and coffe and fresh beef and that is good enough Mother I supose it is cold thare by this time but it is very nice wether here to day seams like spring Wallace is well and fat as a hog and all the rest of the Jay boys I got a letter from Sy the other day he is well I sent a lot of letters to him that had come to the reg I must close by biding you good night.                                                                              

 

From Your

Son Ira A Torrance

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