Camp Bowers Portsmouth V^a

August 20^th /63

 

Dear Ari

                        I received your letter of the 16^th this morn was glad to hear from you. was glad to hear that you all enjoy such good health. I am enjoying my usual good health and appetite. we are all up in arms for we have been a moveing to day on to our new camp ground, we have got a splendid camp ground. it is laid out like a garden we had it all made up into beds. one bed for the line of company tents and the second bed for the company street and so on clear through the 8 companys. two of our Co are in forts drilling heavy artillery 

 

Ari it is evening and as pleasant as any one could make it if thay had the handling of the weather. we have got our tents all fixed up nice and comfortable we have them all stockaded 4 ft high and 4 men in one tent and it gives us aplenty of room. our tents look something like this in front [picture] I am not very good to draft. Ari I cant compose a letter fit to be read but as Clough and Bean has gorn out on picket and David Lock is out somewhere I thought I would write a few lines in my stile of writeing. if you read them to any one you must make the grammer to them. I have no news to write at all and it is hard work for me. I am perfectly contented here on our new camp ground if we only stay / here but that if is a big word. well it is most time for tattoo whitch is at ½ past 8 oclock and I will bid you goodnight and a kiss for Elmer.

 

Aug 21^st it is just reveille this morning and that is at sunrise it is verry pleasant and warm. I have got to go on Camp Gard to day so our ordely says. Oh I told you that we was in the 7^th army corps but we have been changed again we are now in the 18^th army corps. the 7^th and 4^th have been brocken up and consolodated into the 18^th army corps under command of Major General Peck. Major General Foster is in command of this department but Gen Peck of the 18^th corps. I must get my breakfast now, /

 

Friday noon. I have just been to dinner. we had baked beans again and thay were first rate I tell you. I guess I shall get beans enought this week for we had them sunday and yesterday the cook in Co C asked me how I should like a dish of baked beans. what do you suppose I told him. write and tell me. well I must close tell Elmer to be a good boy and mind his mama for papa will come home pretty soon and if he has been a good boy papa will buy him something perhaps a sword or a gun to shoot with. give my to all the folks. good day

                                   

S. B. Tarlton

 

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I sent you 2 papers the other day one was the Norfolk & Portsmouth Va and the other I can't spell

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