Camp 13^th N.H. Vols

Near Portsmouth Va

Nov 22^nd /63

 

Dear Ari:

                        How do you gett along there in old Exeter. firstrate I hope. I am well as usual. one of our Sergts is at home on a furlough of ten days. he wore my over coat home with him. it makes the second time that my over coat has been at home on a furlough and I think the next time it goes I will wear it myself, would'nt you. next Thursday is Thanksgiveing and I would like to have you send me some money for our pay rolls have been lost some how or other and we shant get any pay untill next January / if you have not got the money hire it if you cant get it out of the bank, and as soon as we get paid of I will send it back again be shure and send it if it is possable for I want it very much. I think of traveling away down south in dixie or some other way. I guess it will take about $15 to put me over the road. be shure and send it as soon as you get this letter. direct the same as usual and it will come safe. I am going over to a negro meeting this after noon and I will finish this after I come back. thay have right smart meteings I reckon

 

Monday Morning Nov 23^rd /63

Ari: it is a splended morning and I have just been up to the Docters with the sick boys of our Co. the boys are very healthy. Oh. I went over to where the negroes have their meetting but thay did not have any so I went up to Fort Griswold. it is one that our Regt commenced to build. the 13^th N.Y. is stationed there. one of the Sergeants showed me around in good stile I tell you. thay are building a Theatre to have some good times in this winter. I have got a very polite invitation to attend the first evening that it is opened. so you can think of me about Thanksgiving night as haveing a good time at the / Theatre. Ah: Ari a soldiers life is not all cloudy. I would like to have some of the folks at home see the boys when we expect an attact from the rebs. I thought that I would not tell you but I will. the other day there was about 2,000 Reb Cavalry come down to Suffolk to make a raid down here as we supposed and the Lord if you could have seen the boys thay all wanted to go and away thay went as though the d—l was after them. I did not go the Capt left me in charge of his books and papers but the Rebs did not dare to come down so thay left dubble quick 

 

Ari I must close give my love to Elmer tell him to be a good boy.

 

P.S. did you know W^m Morrison that use to work at the Ballot office. he is a brother to Sergt Morrison that I tent with. I made a mestake it is Bartlett Wintworth in stead of Benj good day           

S. B. Tarlton

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