Nov 4 1862

Camp Parole Anapolis Md

 

Dear Mother.

                        I received your letter yesterday and one from George and Nell and one from Charley Libby. Yesterday I wrote to George Whit and George and Nellie Today I think I had better write to you. We are having good weather now but rather cool. But one stove keeps us warm and also gives us some imployment to furnish wood for it. While I am writing the boys in the next company are having great fun by throwing up a big nigger in a woolen blanket. every nigger that comes into camp has to be initated as we call it He look like a big bull frog / when he was coming down. You tell Annie that I am afraid that she will get married before my moustache gets out long enough to be seen. I have thought of putting on cream to my lip and letting a cat lick it off in hopes to facilitate its growth but unfortunately a cat cant be obtained in the camp. You can tell Aunt Lib that if I had been there Thanksgiving day I might have had an old cow to lick my hair. And tell Aunt Cynthia that I scraped the cooks kettles to grease my hair with instead of lard. You can tell father if he had been through what our flag has he might reasonably expect to be / in tatters. It was the best thing they could do to send Hides regt into a fight for a regiment fight best the first time they go in, and besides it learns them a good deal for the second time they go in they can overcome that dread feeling which I cant explain but which a soldier always feels when he first goes into action. By the way what do you think of John Hartwell ha ha ha. If I was him I could not hold up my head again in Litt. I would have given a quarter to see him running to the rear. I am glad that Hiram see the decit and humbuggery of this war as every man can see if they have ½ an eye. And only for the name / of it I would have deserted long ago. But I could not bear to have it cast up in your face that your boy deserted. You may tell Grandma that there is no such Lieut in our regt and it must be a mistake. There is 12 prisoners here belonging to our Regt. There is 2 prisoners here belonging to the 6^th Mass and they know Uncle Len by sight the fell out and were taken prisoner by the rebel Cav. But Dear Mother I have written all the news I can think of and hoping this will prove acceptable to you, I remain your Dutiful and affect Son

                                   

George. H. Patch.

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