Hd. Qrs. 24^th A.C.

                                                                                                            Jan 15^th 1865

 

            Dear Mother

                                                            I have not writen to you in some time but think that I wrote to you last I got a letter from Henry last night he was well and said he had just recieved a letter from you. Mother it is not becaus I have forgoten you nor is it becaus I have writen last but it is hard work for me to get at it and then if I write one letter a day it would take me more than one week to go around so I try and answer all the letters I recieve as soon as I get them then if I have any time to spair I write to others I not that rite I write to Lewis Ellen and Charlotte/but cannot get a letter from them perhaps they have forgoten there brother isn the Sunny South if so I have not forgoten them. We have very wet weather here now but do not have to march in the mud much. We had to shoot two deserters from our regt a few days ago one from our Co this is 7 men that our regt has had to shoot this winter 5 of them was from the first Conn Heavy Artilery and 2 from the 8^th they ware recruits I did not have to shoot as I did not have any gun but I have one now and may have to shoot if there is any more to be shot as that is our duty here at Hd. Qrs of the 24 AC. The men is all in very good health/at presant with the exception of fatigue we have pleanty of that and the boys are tired out. There is not much news in this department at presant only the rebs are coming in very fast three and four a night and some times more. My health has been quite poor some of the time but I feel very well now my head is all well enough but I think I shall have trouble with it in warm weather. We have very good quarters this winter better than most of the soldiers.

 

Tell Phebe that she must not blame me for not writing to her but if she will write I will try an answer her letter

 

            Give my love to all the/folks and may God grant that this war may soon close and that we may all meet once more at our homes in the north. Things looks bright now and I hope that before another New Year this rebellion may be put down and we home again.

 

Mother the soldiers fight hard enough to put down this rebellion it is not there fault and they do not like to say any thing about there offisers. so the folks up north do not know what the trouble is. but I must close Give my love to all the folks and Dear Mother do not forget yourself

 

                                    from your affectionate Son

                                                            Horace Garrigus

Direct

Co E 8^th Regt

Hd Qrs 24 AC

Via      City Point

                        Va

SOURCES