William E. Foster to Martha A. Hopkins, 14 August 1863
Fort Schuyler NY
Aug 14th
           
Dear Matt
                                    I recieved your most welcomed letter of the 7th yesterday I dont see what kept it so long on the road for they generally come in two days I am getting along verry well considering my leg paines me a little when I run round to much on it but then I had ought to know enough to keep quiet and let my beard grow one side of my leg has been healed up and yesterday it pained me some I showed it to the Doctor and he took hold of it and squeesed it open again it feeles some what easer now I shall keep quiet now till I get home (about my comeing home I want you to keep quiet and not say a word I expect to get my furlough every day now I may / get it to day or tomorrow and I may not get it till next week but I am verry sure of getting it sometime so keep dark and you may see me comeing into the house some of these fine mornings you may think that I cant get home without money but I can though for I can get my transportation in N.Y. to any place I want to go but I can tell you more about that by and by)
 
The wether heare is beautifull it is quite cool so that I have to keep my thick dressing gown on while writing but it will be warm enough in a couple of hours from now. Johnny Davis came to this Hospital the 11th of this month he is getting along verry well he was quite surprised to see me running round without any crutches for when he left me at Gettysburg the Doctor would not let me move but he may get well now before me I am glad Mother has been to the City for I know / she will enjoy herself I wish I could get my furlough so as to go home with her perhaps I may oh! but I forgot that she was comeing home this week instead of next I was thinking that your letter was written sunday last you kneed not be afraid of me for when I get home I shall bee perfectly docile but you had not ought to wonder about my talking about shooting while this bullet wound runs in my blood I have got a large debt to pay Johnny reb with interest but he will have to trust me some time longer before I cancel it please do not talk to much about niggers Matt for if you do I may tell you what I think of them I can feel it comeing now so I will talk about something else I think Uncle Robert is growing young again well bully for him I say he has done work enough for one man. I dont know as this letter is verry interesting to you but I want to do / something to keep myself from running all over the Hospital so I thought I would keep on scratching if you have as much time as I do you can cipher it out but I am too lazy to write good that is as good as I can I think the 43d has done about the right thing but if they wate till they go into another fight they will not have any one to give it too for the 12th is about played out and I am just such a fellow as to be glad that I have been all through the hard knocks with them and I am going through the rest of them as soon as I get able but I have got to stop now and have my leg dressed I have got my wound dressed and it looks tip top but I guess I have written about enough so I will close by sending my love to all Matt in particular Accept this from your affectionate Brother
                                                                                                           
Willie
3814
DATABASE CONTENT
(3814)DL1484121Letters1863-08-14

Letter from William Foster, 12th Massachusetts Infantry, Fort Schayler, New York, August 14, 1863, re: recovering from wounds suffered at Gettysburg


Tags: African Americans, Battle of Gettysburg, Clothing, Furloughs, Hospitals, Injuries, Medicine, Money, Racism, Weather

People - Records: 2

  • (3274) [writer] ~ Foster, William E.
  • (3275) [recipient] ~ Hopkins, Martha A. ~ Foster, Martha A.

Places - Records: 1

  • (3) [origination] ~ Fort Schuyler, Bronx County, New York

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SOURCES

William E. Foster to Martha A. Hopkins, 14 August 1863, DL1484, Nau Collection