Camp Lawrence

                                                                   Cumberland Md June 21^st/62

 

Dear Father

                        I received your letter this morning while on guard. You remember that fellow at Camp Chase, the day you were there, who talked so much. Well the other day I and another boy were down at the river or creek whatever they call it and he came from town and started up the hill which is pretty steep. The railroad runs along at the bottom of the hill about ten feet above the creek. We got up on the railroad when he fell down on the ground in a fit. I didn’t see him fall but looking around pretty soon I saw him laying there with his hands stretched above his head. I went up to him and saw how he was acting and then I just remembered that he was subject to fits. I went and called the other fellow that was with me and then I called some boys that were down at the creek washing some clothes. They came up and we raised him up in our arms and got him into the shade and commenced bathing his temples with water. After he got over that fit we carried him up to our tent where he had five more fits. The next day he had some more fits and also several more the following day. The Captain has had him discharged. He started for Wheeling to get his pay last Thursday night but the discharge papers not being right he had to come back. There was another man discharged from the Regiment for the same reason he having gone crazy with them. Our camp is situated on a hill north of west of Cumberland. It is a very pretty place overlooking the/town of Cumberland. There is a creek running along on the north side of the camp where we bathe. I think that the camp is situated more to the west of the town than to the north of west. There are mountains all around us some of them pretty high. There is a Catholic grave-yard and a protestant one right by the side of the camp. The Catholics have two churches in this place. They also have a nunnery. There are three or four nice looking dwelling-houses in this place also. The streets are about as wide as our alleys at home. The streets are bouldered. From appearances I should take it for granted that it was a rather busy place at one time. There seems to be a great deal of business done in the coal trade. There are several coal mines around here in the mountains. There are also Slate mines around here. Down below the camp near the river is one. I think the man I gave the carpet-sack to must have taken the clothes out. I gave them to him on the Wednesday morning of the day we left. I put them all into the carpet sack. John Babbitt was with me when I gave them to him. My boil is well now. The core came out the day I left home. I was troubled with it for a little while afterward. Jim M^cMullen went and joined Charlie Sausser’s company. We are looking for the 86^th Regt every day. Charlie Sausser is in the 85^th Regt according to the Columbus papers of last Thursday. Well I must close as I will have to go on guard in a few minutes. Write soon. I am very well as all the rest of the boys are. Love to all

 

                                                Your aff son

                                                                        Willie

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