Head Quarters 11^th Regt. N.H.V.

March 5^th 1865.

 

Friend Willie

                        I received your kind letter a day or two since I was pleased to hear from you once more to hear you were all well &c. my health is good. I never felt any more rugged in my live. we have been having very wet muddy going for the last week. it was rainy 4 or 5 days. to day it has cleared off pleasant it is rather cold for Virginia I presume you are having splendid sleighing are you not? we havent had only one little snow storm this winter. / how odd it seems not to see any snow. I should love to take a good sleighride. it would be quite a treat. I suppose I shall have to hold out untill next winter. I shall improve the chances then. it seems you have had a Levee recently. I should have liked to been there. I think you done remarkably well. I presume you had some good times &c. I wish I could get a furlough I would come down to old Westford to see the good folks there. ("Nelie for instance") how is she nowadays. I havnt heard from her for a long time give her my respects &c. you say Wayland is waiting on Sarah Richardson. I used to know his other Lady. / her name was Nellie Hardy. I am not any acquainted with this Richardson girl. I presume she is a nice your lady. you say you havnt heard from Fred for a long time. I wish he would write to me I would really like to know where he is. how is his dear wife and "child"? I shouldn't hardly thought he would gone to war. if he was as sick of it as I am I think he would stayed at home.

 

I hope this "cruel war" is most over dont you? the deserters say it is. they come in pretty fast now. they say they are preparing to evacuate Petersburg. I hardly think it is so. / most of the deserters that come in bring in their guns & equipments with them they get $26.00 dollsfor them. I think that is pretty good inducements. they say they will desert by Brigades when there is a move. I hope there will be one soon if that is the case. well Willie I think I have written about all the news there is. there is none any way. "Every thing is quiet and the goose hangs high" I am cooking now a mess of six like tiptop. I have written ina hurry yousee please excuse mistakes poor writing &c give my Love to all the folks andremember me as your old Friend

                                                           

Edmund P. French.

 

please write soon sooner soonest

 

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my respects to Wayland tell him to write.

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