Camp Shilough           May 22 1862               54 Reg O.V. Ifty

 

            My Dear Wife

                                                Again I seat myself to talk with you a while and see how you are a geting along I am very much disappointed Because I do not get a letter from you But I know it is not your fault they have appointed a division postmaster for Shermans division and it is an Old Preacher and I supose he is to cursed Lazy to fetch the male I have wrote you some 3 or 4 Letters since I have got any from you I sent one with 10 Dollars I cannot Say I am very well for I am not I have had the Dieree and checked it and since I have had a pain in my Bowels I went to the River this morning to see about my 10 Days Rations and Got Back at noon I had nothing to do but coming Back I could not let my horse go off from a walk I have Got a nice horse the Quartermaster is a Mason and a Bully good man he has always thought the World of me any thing I want is all Right he feeds my horse and any thing I want I have and any thing in the commissary he wants he has he came in to day and wanted me to take a couple Pair of nice shirts and drawers Richardson is very Jealous of Maters But it is no odds to me He told colonel Smith yesterday that he wished I could come Back into the company he Said no Sir I Have Just the rite man in the Rite place and it Sutes me I can go and come when and where I please have a good horse am not obliged to go into a fight But I did before and I am glad I did But I do not think I shall again I laid down after dinner and went to sleep and prety soon Rich. came in and said/the Long Rool was Beating and they must fall in I told him I wouldent fall in if they came and carred me off I laid down again But we soon found it to be a false alarm I should not be surprised if they Should attack us again they are as bold as you please But let them come I don’t care a cuss if I only get over the Belly ake and I shall for I am careful You would laughed to hear Richardson and me have a time this morning We was talking of the strength of the South and how they fought and I gave him fits I told him he was the damdest unreasonable man I ever Saw Said I you are the man that said they couldent Rais a hundred thousand troops and that there wouldent any other States secede and the war would Be over in 6 Months says I dident you say so and so and Dident I tell you the truth he was talking about garding places with Nigers and Dam the nigers that makes me mader than Ever But all his freeing Nigers Stealing killing Hogs Sheap and cattle chickens and all this thing that he doted and Braged so much about is all gone up and is so Strict the punishment is death So you see his fun of western Virginia is all plaid out Colonel Smith is a good Democrat and looks at these things Just as I do and he is Smarter than a whip and always Sides with me. I went yesterday and again to day down to General Grants head quarters to get Richardsons Sword the wanted me to take an old thing Rusty as thunder I dont think he will ever get his again But I hope he will he feels like thunder and I dont Blame him I wouldent had my Sword taken for all my wages But I havent told any one But you and I shant say a word and you musent But I tell you he dont weigh as much into about a hundred as he did But I have grown so poor I cant keep my Ring on But I weigh as much as ever in some Respects Poter is mighty good to me now But I am geting tiard and must Rest a while and will finish this in the morning/

 

The Paymaster is hiar, he came last night 2 of them are Stoping with us they will Pay in 5 or 6 days when they Get the payRolls Ready But I shant get anough to put in tea they only pay up to the first of March and the first of May they owe me two hundred and eleven dollars But I was talking with the paymaster at Suppr he says we ought to have 4 Months But they havnt the money I shall Get a months pay as a private and a month lacking 5 days as Lieut So you see I will only Get about One hundred dollars But I shall get a hundred of the Major and Shall send all home I can—

 

While Writing I have Just Got A letter from you and O how thankful it came it was writen on Wedensday night and finished on Thirsday Morning I can immagine your anxiety But Still you are the Best Woman I ever saw to guess I got your letter and the fortune and have laughed a dox times before the fight and more Since But you guessed I was safe and that was Right always think me safe till you know to the contrary Charly is all Right he has ben hear to day he is a good Boy I think the world of him he showed good Pluck you had hopes I see because I was commissary but that made no odds to me I told the Colonel the commissary stores might go to h—ll I was going into the fight the Suns of Bitches took about two hundred dollars worth of Stores from me But I dont have to lose it you ought to see the Piles of stuff I give out evry 10 Days I had 2 large Beaves killed to night for tomorrow But I will close for to night so good By Pleasant Dreams—

 

Well Cinda it is a beautiful clear morning down in Dixies land the Sun Rises clear and Beams down on the many Rough and Rude graves which Dot this Battlefield the ground hear is of a wet surface and they have dug holes and threw them in By Doxens and by twenties as I Ride over the field the sight is a terrible one/The thought of being thrown in a mudhole with a Blanket Raped Round and not covered 6 inches deep is horrible to any one But a Soldier Some times this Thought Shocks me But I live in hopes and it cheers me to See you in Such good Spirits I Believe our prayers will Be answered and that I shall come home and us take a great deal of Comfort. But as you said in your letter we cant all come Back But we must put our trust in One that Rules above and all will Be well you say you think I will Be home befor long I hope I may But I see no prospect Before fall I shall probily send you 2 hundred dollars But I cant tell I shall send it By Express Adams Express to Mrs. C. R. Browning Brookly and tell them to inform you by Letter amediately unless something else turns up and if there does I will let you know There is no elotment System with the Paymasters this time and it will make a Bother But I shall send it some way I want you to pay Fish 50 with interest and I owe Nelson on the west side some 5 and for my Pictures and 2 dollars to Conner But that I will send in a letter to him and I owe I have to pay for them dishes Some 19 dollars he has my note mext Door to the city hotel and I owe two dollars and fifty ^cts to the Harness maker for a Blanket for Maj Fisher he paid me for the Blanket I think I got the Blanket of Mr Marshall Fogg is the man I owe for the dishes which will take in all nearly a hundred dollars I want them Little Debts Paid the Rest I dont care a curse for Then you can Get the fence built and use all you want for it will not Bee long till I can Send you 2 hundred more Dont Scrimp yourself and for Gods sake and My sake dont let me hear of your walking to town again if you cant hire some one to take the Bugy and carry you Stay at home I Rather die than hear of your footing it Round like an Irish Woman

 

[front top margin:                   I came into the Service to get means to pay our debts and for you to have anough to live as you ought to and if you cant go to town without footing it with your health I will Bie a gentle horse and hire a Boy to drive it I should think you could hire Trains horse and take the Bugy and drive your self or get some one Dam the luck I wish there was any accomodation in folks there I will have thing right if I live but if you dont Be more careful you wont live to injoy it now do be careful and take care of your self and Bub and Dress him up and take him with you and go to town & have a good visit he injoys it if I was there he would go]

 

[front side margins:    Give my love to all Write often I shall get all your letters in time only be patient I shall write you again soon

Did you get that Washdish I left to Dr Printises the day I left]

 

[back margin:  Kiss my Pet tell him Pa has got him a gun and Sword if I can only get it home]

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