Camp 13^th N.H.Vols

Near Petersburg V^a

July 10^th 1864

 

Dear Ari

                        I recieved your letter of July 3^rd yesterday. I was very glad to hear from you. I am still stopping at the rear on guard the Regt is at the front I am well and hearty now Ari. I feel first rate. I guess I shall go out with the Regt the next time thay go out. every thing is quiet here, except picket fireing and once in while the artillery will open and shell away for an hour or so. it was as By said, we expected lively times here the 4^th of July but something happened so we did not have it. it was as quiet as could be all day, not hardly a gun fired. it did not seem like the 4^th to me, it seemed more like sunday. 

 

you seem to have a wrong idea about Sergt Morrison. what do you folks think at home there. do you think that the soldiers have got so that if thay get their head knocked clean of thay can go home on a furlough. Morrison got an aufull bad wound, Ari, all the top of his head was peeled as clean as could be. no one dreamed that he would live the day after he got wounded. I have no doubt but he will have a furlough, but when I cant tell, he may be at home before you get this and he may not be for 6 month. he is 150 miles from us, so you see we dont know much more about him then you do. his right arm is paralyzed so that he cant use it at all, so he cant write to us himself 

 

Ari: How is things. I hope thay are all right. let me know every time you write. Well I havent got any news to write this morning Ari and it is hard work for me to write and nothing to write about. the two armys are lying here looking at eatch other. I dont know what Grant is going to do but time will tell. our folks keep throwing shells into Petersburg and setting the buildings on fire then the rebs will try to put it out and our folks will keep shelling them away from it, so I think thay must have hard times in Petersburg. the mail has come this morning and I got an Exeter News Letter that Frank Smith sent me.

 

Oh! dear, it is auful hot and dry here. the ground is as dry as powder 

 

Oh that letter that was mail marked Washington D.C. was one that you wrote but somebody else backed it. I guess thay thought that there was mony in it, and opened it. how much do you suppose they got. (hay)

 

well I must close, give my regards to all of your girls. Ask By what he thinks about Grants takeing Richmond now. my regards to him and Han. Give my love to Elmer when you write home. write often and tell me all about how you get along. I will write to Han after we get out of this scrape. Mr Patterson is here with lotts of good things for us (one barrel cider)

 

good day from your

affectionate husband

Sergt S. B. Tarlton

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