Patterson Park Hospital Aug. 230^th/64

 

Absent yet ever remembered friend.

                                                I will endever to answer your kind letter I received yesterday. it was dated the 5^th it had been delayed to the Reg^t be assured it was received with pleasure. I received Hatties at the same time. there is one letter I sent you since I came here you had not got when you wrote. prehaps you have got it ere this. I thought when I wrote I should be at the Regt before this but the D^r will not consent to my going back into the field untill the warm weather is over. it is a verry pleasant sunny morning and every thing looks/gay. oh! if this cruel war was over and our once happy country was at the excuse mistake peace. Such a beautifull morning as this would be delightful to behold. but when one looks to the many wounded & sick Soldiers in Hospitals & laying on the field of Battle and can not enjoy the pleasures of life & nature it casts a gloomy shade on all around us. we are having some heard fighting at the presant around Richmond & in the Shanadoah Valley whear my Reg^t is they had a pretty heard fight last fiyday & saturday & have not seen the Official accounts of the fight yet. this Hos^p is burying from 2 to 3 each day the No of inmates everage 1500 to 2000. I will say that the patiants have good care. my health is verry good now except the deficiantsy caused by sun stroke./the D^r says after I have passed through the cold season I will not feel any thing more of it. I shall stay here for some time yet. the goverment is agoing to Build a new Hopsital and repair the old one this fall and winter the D^r asked me if I could work at carpenter work I told him I could he said he would keep me here to work untill colder weather and prehaps untill the Job as done.

 

                                                you gave more credit to that picture than was due it for it is an ill specimen of the orridgeanal and he is not due credit of being called good looking. I will try and get one taken more natural while I stay here if I can get a pass to go into town after I get a little more flesh on my face so I will look natural. I was so black being taned up with the sun that it looked more like a nigro then a white man/you spoke about it being such a beautiful twilight evening when you was writeing your letter and that you would like to have a visit on such a beautiful night. you did not mention names but your humble corispondant would be pleased to sit down in the Parlor or an Arbor and have a chat or ramble through the fields and behold the works of nature while pleasant thoughts are passing through ones mind on such occasions. then and in those places he would be happy to meet you. (prehaps I am takeing to much liberty in telling my thoughts if I have pardon me) I hope this war will soon end and peace will be known once more in once our once happy country and Soldiers who have been deprived of homes and comforts of life can return to their friends. Direct—Ward 46. Patterson Park Hospital Baltimore M^d not in care of the capt please write soon? and except this in friendship I remain yours truly. from your friend and wellwisher

                                                            Stephen A. Matthews

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