Near Portsmouth V^a     

May 20^th /63

           

Dear Ari

                        I received your letter of the 10^th in due time and was glad to hear that you are well. I am sorry your Mother is so lame dose it make her hallow as it ues to your Father when she gets into bed. I hope she will be well when I hear from you again. I am well as usual. I guess you will begin to think that I am not telling the truth, by the way you write for me to take care of my self. I would like to see any one take good care of himself out here although it sutes me right smart I reckon as the darkeys say. we have moved twice sence I wrote you last the first time we moved about 5 or 6 miles I reckon and the next / time about 4 miles, both times twords Portsmouth and now we are about 3 miles from Portsmouth. we are building forts and corderoy roads along the rail road from Suffolk to Norfolk & Portsmouth. we have not done any drilling for over a month it has been all diging picketing and fighting ever sence. but fighting is plaid out here for the presant. we have not seen a rebel sence the 3^rd day of May. the Col sends out one half of the Regt in the forenoon to build corderoy roads and in the afternoon he sends the other half to work on the forts. I go on the roads in the forenoon but I dont have to do any work unless I have a mind to. I have a squad of 16 men / to look after is all I have to do and in the afternoon we rest. I have sent in for a pass to go to Portsmouth next Friday if I get it I can get my picture down there I guess. our Col seems to talk as though we shall not have to do much more fighting I dont know what he meens by it. some of the boys think we are going to do Provo Gard in Norfolk or Portsmouth and some think we are going to be discharged when 9 months are out for thay say that the 12^th Regt filled our quota of 3 years men so save paying the state ade, but I dont take any stock in camp storys. Oh do you get any state ade now. I think it is the most likely that we shall go down to Kentuckey 

 

How is little Elmer tell him Papa had a letter from uncle Joe to day. he wanted me to ask Elmer if he did not want to smoke uncle Joes old pipe. if he could be out here with me now he could get a plenty of strawberries I had a right smart lot of them last night I reckon. I have seen green peas here but have not had any to eat yet. we can get a plenty of oysters here very cheap.

 

            well I must close for it is most sunset dont worry about me one bit. if you could look into our camp and see what works we have here some times I guess you would laugh insted of crying. we have not seen any gals so long we shant know how to behave when we get home. I have not got last weeks Ballot yet but all the rest have come.

                                                                                               

Give my love to all

Good day Corpl S. B. Tarlton

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