Baton Rouge Oct 21

 

Dear Mother

                        It was my good fortune to get two letters from you last night mailed the 5^th and 7the. and that money you sent me in one of them I got all safe. you say you do not think I got the $2 you sent awhile ago I though I mentioned in one or two of my letters about getting it. I intended to anyway it came all right, as all the letters do I guess I have received evry letter since you have commenced to nomber them this time the last one was No 12. last night the pay master came up from N.O. and he is paying of the regiments today he has not been up here yet, but we expect him soon. I heard he was paying of our regiment at noon. I should rather he would have wated as you sent me a little money until the first/of next month before he payed us off, seeing that it is wanting but a few days to that time for then we should have got four months pay as it is now we shall not get but two months. you say I must not send home so much of my money when I get payed off. I dont intend to again. I should not have sent home so much the last time, if I had not thought we should get our pay as soon as our two months was out. so you nead not send me any more money, but I would like for you to send me some postage stamps. I am all out, I suppose you want to hear how all the boys are, so I write in evry letter, we are all well, with the exception of Mark, and he remains a bout the same. as you say I like to hear from you pretty often if you dont have much to write about, and I suppose it is the same with you, you want to hear from us. Angie says the old horse is very lame this fall I should think father would trade her off/that big hog she told about I should like very much to have a piece of. but I dont much expect to. any way I am going to have a piece of fresh pork in a day or two if they do ask an awfull price for it here. it is so that we can get anything in the eating line evry morning if we have the money to buy with being within a few steps of the market. you ask me for some of my hair I sent you some once and what in the devil is the use for you to be so foolish as to send for any more. what good can it do. my hair is short and I cant spare it. before I had a lot sheared clost to my head and it looked after it as if the mice had been amongst my hair. the other time you sent for some, I thought it was all nonsence, but sent some thinking it would be the last I should hear about it. what can you want of the stuff. you say you dont want me to show any of your letters of course I shall not and I never did, and I told you to be sure and not show mine only to Barker/but it seams you have Aunt Mercy said she saw my letter, and Joan said you let her read my letters. I dont want you let anybody read any more of them. last night we were ordered to keep our eyes pealed if we were attacted, they talk pretty strong now they think we shall be attacted in a few days. our regiment has got orders to have three days rations cooked up, and it is reported thay are to go out with the cavalry and support them. if they go we shall not have to go with them for we are the same as detached from the regiment now. dont you worry about our having to fight, for the rebs may not attact us, and if they do, I think we are enough for them. we have got a fort to retreat into and a plenty of cannon to mow them down. I intended to write my letter to Barker but I did not have any postage stamps only the one that was on the envelope directed to father so I will wait till the next Evening 9 oclock we have just got our pay. I should think the pay master was in a hurry to go around paying of the troops evenings                                                                                              L Josselyn

 

 

[envelope: Postmark New Orleans La Oct 27 1863/56/Mr Cyrus Josselyn/West Hanover/Mass]

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