Camp Gilmore

Portsmouth Va

August 29^th /63

 

Dear Ari

                        I have just received your letter of the 25^th and was glad to hear from you. I am well as usual and enjoy my self first rate as long as I know that you are all well at home. you see by the heading of my letter that we have got a name for our camp ground. it is after a General and a Governer. we have quite lively times out here now although the rebels have not trubled us yet you would think something was up if you could be out here to hear the solid shot and shells whistle through the air and trees, and make the limbs fly. we have artillery pracktis / here every day from 12 to one o'clock on the fortifications. the first gun that thay fired was a one hundred pound rifled parrott. I was in my tent asleep when they fired the first gun. well I reckon that I come out of my tent right smart get as the niggers say. thoes one hundred pound shells make bad work when thay burst in a bridgade of troops. I saw one burst in the top of a large tree and it took the top all of smoth but that is nothing to what thay have got down to Charleston. thay are only fireing to get range of their guns and for drill. thay fire condemned shells. we are a going to have a heavy thunder shower and I will wait a while untill the thunder is / over. it is the most auful thunder that I ever hurd. the shower is over and the boys are haveing a jolly time with two of our boys that left us at Falmouth and have just come to the Regt. thay have been in the hospital all of the time sick. Bean says that we shall be at home about next April just after dinner. he is the man that sold soap to you down to Rye. the Portsmouth N.H. soap man he knowes you.

 

well I will tell you what I think about the wars closeing. I think it will close when the rebelion is put down and not before at any rate I hope it will be put down before the war closes. when that will be I dont know any more then Elmer does but if our troops keep / on whipping them as thay have done for the last 3 or 4 months I dont think it will last long. I have not got any letter from Charles Foss. you had a very good guess about what I told the man about the beans you guessed yes by gorry and I said yes by jolly.

 

Oh the boys say that I can get my State Bounty of fifty dollars by sending to concord. I wish you would find out if you can get it by my getting some writeing from my Capt to certify that I am in his co and the Regt. if you can get it I wont have it come out here write and let me know. well I must close give my love to all of the folks, good day S. B. Tarlton

 

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