Camp Parole Annapolis Oct 22d 1862

 

Dear Mother

                        I received your letter yesterday and Nell's and George's letter this morning, and so I thought that I would sit down and write an answer to it. I have just been writing a letter to a mans wife because he could write, and if you could hear the little love sentences I tucked in you would certainly think I was a married man for instance "I would give all the wourld to be with you my dear little wife" and so forth Well I expect to be married sometime so I can learn how to write by writing love letters now. And I expect I have got some one waiting for me in L. I am in my usual good health and / spirits and troubled with nothing ex an alarming consumption of victuals for I have got the awfullest appetite you ever saw. Yesterday I eat 12 potatoes and ½ a loaf of bread besides a good share of beef steak. I guess that you wont want to board me if I should come home on a furlough. I shant come home unless I get leave set yourself at rest on that. You can send a box by Adams Express straight into this camp in 5 days. If you send me any eatables put in some apples, and send me the receipt in a letter so when it comes I can go to the office and give the receipt and get the box. Speaking about just being done bakeing I done some cooking on my own hook, boiled a couple of Mackerel and some potatoes and had quite a good breakfast and they were sweet potatoes / to at that and good too. If I thought that by staying here a month I could get a furlough I would rather be here But if there is no chance to get home I would rather be with the boys in the Co only think 2 killed and 15 wounded out of 31 men going in at Antietam. The way they go home from here they buy a citizens dress and go right along without being troubled. What do you think if the arrest of George Francis Train and his speech while in prison. If you read that speech you will find the Principles of the Army of the Potomac every man. Down with the Abolition Party and then you will see the end of the war and not before. You may believe me when I tell you that if Chas Sumner should shown his face in this camp he would surely be murdered and I would be / glad if Bully Brooks of S.C. had done it when he began. It is such men as he keeps the war along killing thousands of men and filling their own pockets with chink. And you could no more get them to enlist than you could to cut their throats. I wish they would draft such men how glad I would be to see them lying in the mud and wet a few nights It would them good I think. How does the garden get along I suppose that it is about harvest time. Are apples dear there they are 2 cts a piece here and scarce at that, every thing else is dirt cheap here. But I dont know of any more news to write at present so good bye from your affect son

Geo H Patch

 

PS        I shall write to Nell tomorrow if nothing happens.

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