Henry P. Elliott to Mary P. Elliott, 10 October 1862
Plesant Valey Ma
Oct the 10 862
Mary as i have not had but one leter from you i thought i wright once more and see if i could hear from home once more i have rote fore to you and have not had but one it seams as tho you mite wright once in to weakes i am sure i like to hear from home oftner than you wright i have had three from Eliza and i was first rate glad to hear from you all. I had got just so much wrote and the boys sang out that the mail had come and i droped all and run behold i recived what i had ben looking for and now i can wright to you / with litle beter courage than i could before you wright you and the children air all well and that is good news to me and i wish that i could be with you if i could not be with you more than one day it would be of some comfort to me but that cant be for as things look to me now you probley wont see me for a long time it apears now as tho we had got to do som fighting to do before you will hear from me again but prehpas not I have seen rob dow and tomas priest and Lenard harlow and they air all well now they have seen som hard fighting rob said it looked ofley he said thair was some three hundred / lai ded in one pile and i think it must look rather bad some think the fiting is prety much done with but i cant see it but i hope it is so for i think it will half to be setled some other way than fighting tell Albina if he could come out hear and stay a few days he would blive what i told him in regard to the head oficers he cant tell eney thing about it til he has ben and seen for him self tell him to write and not forget me becaus i am some was from home for i think as much of hearing from home as to when i was thair with you all and it seems when i get a leter as tho i was with you but when i have red it and / reairlised it over i find i am as far from home as i was before but does me some good so wright oftner we air now in camped in plesant valey Ma and it look the most like new hampshire of eny place i have seen but it dont seem to rain when i am well i ingoy it as well as i expected but that is but a small part of the time i have had a direair the most of the time sence i left home and that new for me you know it is nothing uncomon for me to half to be up about half the time night but i have to do some duty for all of that most every thing i eat hurt me and i doant anderstand / my sheat of paper was not long enougf so i half to take another you wanted i should wright how do we lived i onley stay we have a plenty of hard bred and salt beaf and it cofey and it is mighty tuf at that we have had hames delt out to ous that the magets wer a half an inch long but mind you we did not eat it for we could not we have had fresh beef for about a weak and that is a little beter but i cant eat much of it my self for it hurt me i will sho you how to eat when i get hom if i am a live and well you spoke about sending me somthing to eat but it is of now youse for more than as likley as not i should not get it it would coum / to washington safe enough but i could not get it from thair and when i get whair i can get it i will right and tell you when to send it I expect we shal go to north Carlina before long but we solgers cant tell much about it they wont let ous no till about to ours before we start and then we air put on duble quick time and that is what makes so meny sick solgers that is what the old solgers say and i blive it if the privets could have thair way they would put an end to the war or dy and i guess they will as it is for if a man gives out on a march thair air men to pick them up and cirey them to harpers fery and thair work ninty days with out / eny pay and onley nine hard tacks a day that is the way they they air doing their work now but i am in hopes their will be a turn in things prity soon i think i have said enough about things of that kind now so i will right about somthing elce I want you should wright and let me now how you you get aloung and whether you have got eny money from the town or not for i doant expect that you will get eny of my wages not yet for i doant expect to get paid of before december and if they doant walk up and pay they can be maid to it is dark and i am sorey Elro is well and harty as gus ol Mr Sulivan wants / you should tell his folkes that he is well and wants they should wright for he feels rather bad sence he hurd his little boy was ded
Henry Pattee is not very well now he has got cold but he does his duty and i think he will be smart in a few days
you nead not pay eny dets till i get back if you can live without you will do well look out for your self first
kiss frank and Charley for me and tell them farther want to see them and they must be good boys till i come home to see them i cant wright much more this time so good by for get me not
H S Elliott
[margin]
direct to Washington DC
10226
DATABASE CONTENT
(10226) | DL1569.003 | 132 | Letters | 1862-10-10 |
Tags: Camp/Lodging, Children, Death (Home Front), Death (Military), Duty, Family, Fighting, Food, Home, Illnesses, Insects, Leadership (Soldiers' Perceptions of), Mail, Money, Payment, Weather
People - Records: 2
- (3653) [writer] ~ Elliott, Henry P.
- (3657) [recipient] ~ Elliott, Mary P. ~ Bennett, Mary ~ Daily, Mary ~ Wells, Mary
Places - Records: 1
- (252) [origination] ~ Pleasant Valley, Washington County, Maryland
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SOURCES
Henry P. Elliott to Mary P. Elliott, 10 October 1862, DL1569.003, Nau Collection