Yorktown V^a

April 25^th /64

 

Dear Ari

                        I received your letter of the 18^th day before yesterday but have not had a chance to answer it untill now. we are here at Yorktown yet. we dont know how long we shall stop here, we may stay a week or a month, and we may move tomorrow. I dont know anything about it, and what is more we dont care. my health is good we are drilling right up to the handle I tell you since we got our new Gen. I think we shall like him firstrate. he use to be the Col. of the 6^th Maine. his name is Hiram Burnham. I believe I told you before he appears to think a great / deal of us. he says we are a fine set of men and look well. it is some oweing to haveing a good Col. every thing looks well for us now Ari except marching. we think we shall have to march some long marches, so we have lightened our knapsacks all that we can. all that I am going to cary is one shirt and one pair of stockings and my blanket. I am going light I tell you. I ant going to kill myself luging a mules load, but I just reckon that I can march as far as any other he in the 13^th at any rate I am going to try it. Oh, Ari, you wrote a first rate letter the the last one that I got. I guess you felt better then you did when you wrote before. I hope you will always write as good ones. if you only knew how well we get along out here, you wouldnt / worry so much about us I dont think, to be honest about it. I dont like to fight and I dont believe there is any one that dose, if thay tell the truth. but I do like to march for I can go it like a book, and then we can go into the farm houses and buy eggs to eat, and so on, if the women ant to much seccesh. we went into one house when we was coming up from Newportnews and there was two women, and thay would not speak to us. didnt we raise the D—l with them (hay) we got 3 or 4 dozen of eggs out of them, we squat them and made them lay the eggs. tell Han will you tell her that I will write to her when I can get a chance but I cant hardly get time to write to you, that is so you can read it, but she must write just the same. 

 

Oh. I will send you a picture of my Capt. Matthew T. Betton it is not a good one but I stole it. he dont know that I have got it, for if he did he would not let me send you such a looking thing. it is just like him. Winn has not got his taken yet but he says you shall shurely have one some time.

 

Now, Ari, why cant you write often, if you dont get one from me so often. I write just as often as I can, you see now I have got to put out the light for we are not alowed one after taps. Give my love to Elmer when you write to him, keep lots of love your self, for it all belong to you and Elmer. give my regards to Han & By and all the rest. Good night from your loveing husband,

Sergt. S. B. Tarlton

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