Newport News V^a March 8 1863

           

Dear Ari

                        I received your letter Thursday night and was glad to hear that you were all well. I am well as usual. it is pleasant after a heavy thunder shower we had this morning. I am setting on a log by the cooks tent writeing where I can see the plum trees in blossom. it is a fine place here I tell you. I went down to Fortress Monroe last tuesday it is a big thing I tell you I should have had my picture taken down there if I had any mony to pay for it but we have not been paid / of yet so I have not got much mony. I will have it when I get paid of. I have had mony enough untill now. when we were up to Falmouth I was hungry and spent my mony for bread. I paid 20 cts for what you call a 2 cent loaf. every thing was auful high up there. I dont know as I told you and I thought I never would that when we skedadled out of Fredericksburg we lost some of our rations and had to go with out a while because thay could not transport it fast enough from Washington but we live here first rate. you neednt say anything to Father and Mother about short living / but you can tell Mother that I did not come out here because anybody wanted me to or that anybody did not want me to I come because I had a mind to and have not seen the time yet that I have been sawry for coming. I like first rate and as long as you are all well at home I will run the resk of my head. our Col arived here Friday. John Sulivan is with our Regt. Capt Julian has sent in his resignation he and the Col had some truble I dont know what. you asked me if I ever saw any body buried under arms yes I see it every day. I fired a salute over one grave / up to falmouth. write all about the town meeting. ask Atwell who the town oficers are and tell me tell him to vote for Eastman. Col Heriman is right close to us I see him very often I have seen Stickney and Ranolds Ed Fellows and that Nealy boy. our Lieut Goss has been promoted Capt of Co I. Lieut Coffin to first Lieut Co H and Sargeant Major W^m Ladd of Portsmouth to second Lieut of Co K. and I expect to be promoted this week in a horn

well I must close give my Love to all

           

tell Elmer to be a good boy. good day S B Tarlton

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