June 15^th 1863

Camp Bowers near                

Portsmouth V^a

 

Dear Ari.

                        I received your letter yesterday and should have answered it but was called upon by Lieut Stanells to take a Sunday mornings walk and it was a walk to I tell you. the Lieut had orders to take some men and post a gard at every house within 2 miles around our camp where thay wanted a gard to keep the soldiers from steeling so of we started about 9 oclock with a squad of men (one of the boys just past says tell her that I love her) through the woods and over fences and across rivers untill we come / back to camp about 7 oclock in the evning after a march of 10 or 12 miles and posting 15 men. tired enough was I to. but we saw a great many new things. if you could only seen the strawburys lord I never saw any thing like it. the ground was red with them. I guess I didnt eat any oh no. Well I am going again this after noon and if I find a good place I am going to stop out my self. that is I shant stop unless there is some pritty girls lives at the place for the folks where the gard is posted has to board them. by jolly if it ant hot here we have not had any rain for a long time and the corn needs rain very much. / I wish you was out here it is a fine place I tell you. there is lots of tomatoes out here allmost ripe. the Cols Wife is here and 2 or 3 of the Capts wifes so I expect we shall stay here some time well I like first rate. I had as livs stay here my 3 years as any where in Va. I have just been out and got an ice cream. it look around our camp ground like the fair ground at Exeter lotts of tables set with all of the goodys for sale I can just seep out of the tent and get any thing that I want to eat but I dont buy much for I dont dare to eat the stuf it is such hot weather. I got the Ballot last night / but have not had a chance to read it for there has been so many that wanted to see it. thay all wanted to read the Governners Message even to the Col he sent down for it this morning. it was the first paper with the Message in it we have got out here. we have been paid of for two months so look out for your 20 dollars. tell Elmer papa will send him something the first chance he gets he must be a good boy for papa come home soon. Oh I am no copperhead if that is what a copperhead is. I cant go for the ignorant cusses out here thay dont know enough to go into the house when it rains S.B.T.

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