Camp 13^th N. H. Vols.

Near Portsmouth, V^a

Feb 7^th 1864

 

Dear Ari:

                        I received your last letter yesterday, or reater last night, and was glad to hear that you were well. I went down to Norfolk yesterday and sent home some mony money for you by Adams Express. I sent fifty dollars ($50.00) to your Father and asked him to keep it for you. so you must write and ask him if he has got it, and let me know as soon as you find out. I paid the Express bill. we got four months pay, so you see I have sent you 50 out of my 52 dollars that I got. if we get paid of next month again I will send you some more. the first pleasant day I am going to have my / picture taken and send to you, and also Sergt Winn and Morrisons. Oh, tell your Father that I would have wrote a longer letter to him if I had had time, the few lines that I did write I wrote in the Express office at Norfolk.

 

I have no news of any great interest to write. the Rebs are trying to do something down to Newbern but I guess thay wont make out much. you heard about the rebs takeing tow or three of our little gun boats near by here I suppose. our folks blew up the Smith Briggs (a) boat that I knew very well. we heard the report here very plain it sounded like distant thunder.

 

After dinner. we had a good dinner to day. it was fried beefstake it went well you better believe 

 

You say that you are going to work up to Boston if you can get any thing to do. how will Elmer like that, to be left down to Exeter with out his mama, and how will your mother lik to have him to take care of. perhaps she wont want to take care of him. you had better find out if she will take care of him before you make any bargains dont get to be to wild up to Boston, there is a great many holes in a skimmer you know. if you leave Elmer down to Exeter and go up to Boston to work at your trade the Exeter folks may think that you are at work on North St. at something els in the night time. I shouldnt want to go home and have any thing of the kind / throwed in my face. you know or had ought to know that I should not think of any such a thing but there is a great many that would. you say that you did not get a letter last week. it was not my fault for I sent one. How is Elmer all right. send him out here and I will take care of him. I can put him in my knapsack when we move I guess I can carry him at any rate I would try it if he was out here. tell me how I shall direct a letter to Lewis Chase if you can find out yourself Give my regards to all of the boys and girls. I must close this and answer Hannahs letter (great Illox)

 

Good day from your sweet bucket of swill and beauty of all nastyness (whay you mule)

                                                                                                           

Corpl. S. B. Tarlton

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