Pleasant Valley MD

Sunday Oc^t 18^th 1862

           

Dear Sister

                        I rec^d your kind and welcome letter last night together with the articles sent and were all very acceptable indeed and the gloves were just in time for yesterday morning I was put on guard and last night was just the time when I needed them there are nice ones and as for size I will make them fit my hand I had rather have them too large than to small the spenders will be what I shall need by & by The envelops are just the size. Every thing is all right I did not expect them so soon You may take the pay out of what I send home / and let me here say that I shall try & save $10.00 per month beside what the town pay & this for the folks to do what they please with I shall then have $3.00 per month left of my reguler pay & 30.00 per year of State bounty how much of the latter I shall save I cannot tell but I have somewhat changed my mind since leaving home in regard to spending money for victuals to eat. Sometimes I have no appetite to eat what the boys call not fit to feed pigs on and in fact do not always relish hard bread & have consequently have bought more that I thought I should and I believe it is for my interest to some extent but of course dont mean to be a spendthrift Apples I sometimes buy I succeeded in getting a Porter apple the other day and it seemed really refreshing and / reminded me of those I received from Mrs Pike wish I could have the opportunity now

 

In regard to this war it does seem as though this fall & winter would finish the fighting and when that part of the work is done it will not be a great way to the end of the war & the commenceing of peace. in my opinion there is a best Army now in the field and even through this valley it is said there must be 170 or 200,000 troops (men) but when we move I do not know but it is said the plan laid is to make one grand & mighty sweep taking the whole rebel force & planting them "away down South in dixie," and I hope the majority of them beneath the clods of the valley. It is also reported that we should now be making our onward movement if circumstances allowed / by this I would mean that the streams are very low & the upper Potomac can be forded at almost any point for 200 miles, and in connection with the taking of Richmond they want sufficient water in the James river to enable our gun boats go up & help take the doomed City. I do hope that our army will move befor it is so muddy going that we cant. we are all as ready now as we ever can be as far as our own feelings are concerned, and now I say strike the deadly blow I want to see this infernal rebellion forever crushed. There is one thing I think is going to help to finish this war and that is the Presidents proclamation May God speed the right and with this thought that we will we will try to take courage

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