Camp Holmes

Near Raleigh Augt 13

 

Dear Mother

                        I shall write and direct to you at Charlottesville but hope that you have left for the Mountains before this. I know it must be scorching in Ch'ville for it has been pretty hot here for the last four or five days. Until then for the most of the time it has been pleasant enough. Our camp is pleasantly situated and well shaded if there is any breeze we get it. I do not mind the heat much myself, but when I think how hot it must / be in a town I fear you must suffer from it unless you have already gone to the Mountains. I almost wish sometimes that you could be out here with me and if it was customary for ladies to be in camp would write you to come out. I find it much more pleasant during the summer to be in camp than in a city. We live so well here that I am almost ashamed to say anything about when so many of our soldiers are suffering for the necessaries of life. Here we have chickens, hogs, butter, milk / & vegetables with coffee & sugar We have to pay what would have been considered big prices before the war commenced but even with this it does not cost as much as it did in Richmond. We get very good sugar for three cts a pound but to use the sugar we have to pay 2$ pr lb for coffee and this makes it bitter. the reason for this is that the Commissary has no coffee & we have to buy elsewhere There are but three in our mess D^r Baker of this state D^r Vogt of Florida & myself by the by D^r Vogt is an / old friend of Dr Jas Lewis lives in Ocala & went to Fld from So Ca. We have plenty of house room for ourselves & any friends that may happen to fall in. We have for our use five tents two large ones & three small ones for servants & dining room. We are furnished with two clerks & two orderlies to attend to any official business we have for them whenever we wish it

 

We have just heard that Jackson has had a fight with Pope near Gordonville & defeated him.

 

Mitta promised to write to me again soon why has she not written.

 

Love to all the family How is Aunt Sarah & cousin Ed

                                                                       

Your Aff Son

Henry

 

[?] Leake & Co

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