Camp in the Field       Pleasant Valley

Maryland        Oct 17^th 1862

 

            Dearest Mary  best of women my darling Wife         I have been waiting to hear from you before writing again I have written but twice since I left Wash. but have not received an answer to either of the two letters Thank God I have received two letters though Two such good letters too one dated Thurs. Oct 2, & the other Sunday Oct 5. I received one Wednes. Oct 8. the Oct 11. Thus you see our mail arrangments are not quite as good as they used to be The letters have first to go to Wash. & then they are forwarded here I dont know how I shall get over the difficulty unless you date them a week ahead like the New York Ledger. But I must be satisfied I expect the time will come when I shall neither be allowed to write to nor receive Letters from my darling but hope not Of myself at present my/health is good it was never better but I have been sick I was devlish sick just as I am sick at home Chilley every bone in my body was sore but I was so I went to the doctor every day after my medicine Well after he had given me quinine & every devlish thing that was bad to take I up and got better but no sooner well than the Damnedess—(Diareha) alias S--- to set in I had to get up out of my warm bed as much as several times every night to answer to those calls of nature but that’s played out now & your uncle Daniel is all right so to speak I am feeling gay we are under marching orders & when we do go it is into battle They were firing all day yesterday in the direction of Winchester I tell you it sounded like the fourth of July only more so we shall be over there soon & shall get a pop at the Rebs./

 

up to yesterday it had been cloudy & raining most of the time for a week and as we are without tents yet it has not been very pleasant I tell you but yesterday “Gracious God” as Valse Brown sais what a change one of the most pleasant days I ever knew to day is ditto what if we did have a tremendous thunder storm last night your uncle Daniel did not get wet & those that did will appreciate the day the better nothing like applying Plilosophy to a thing that is the test To be sure the other day we had some Beef that had lain exposed to the schorching rays of the Sun a little to long but then we were not obliged to eat it the boys made a great fuss But there was no use of that as brobably that will be their last chance to know how cooked carion tastes/

 

We have a great many good times here I sigh not for home comforts when I am well I am satisfied with every thing out here we have cozey little times in our palace 4 of us Ed Wheeler JBB LH Park our Palace is built with hands it is made with three rubber blankets stretched over some poles—Evenings we read to one another & talk about home & dear ones there John desperately loves his gal Sometimes we Joak as A.W. sais The other night I laughed untill I was sore it was one of the nights I was sick (In my latter sickness I could not laugh without danger of soiling my drawers) Clint you probably hear is sick in the hospital at Washington I should written about it before but we hoped he would be well before now & he wished me not to write about him I have not heard from him since I left Wash. I do not know but his folks will blame me for not writing but I did as he wished me to I wrote to you one night while I watched with him & said nothing of his being sick

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