“Camp Lincoln” “Fair Oaks Sta”

                                                                                                            Mon. June 23^rd/62

 

Dear friend Lou.

                                    I should have replied to your welcome epistle sooner but I knew you had other correspondents in the Co. who would give you all the news, and I did not want to infringe too much on your time, which is now taken up by new and to you novel duties So Lou, you have really become a “school marm” have you? “I wonder now”! “du tell”! Well how does it go? It appears to me, that I would have no objection to visit your school this pleasant Monday morning. But I can’t do it in reality—So I will have to do it in imagination. “Silence boys”! “Will you not keep quiet”? (and the Teacher contracts her eyebrows) A little girl laughs. “Elsie come out on the floor” She obeys trembling. Fourth Reading class “Mary read a little louder.” “That is very well”./ Geography class. “Thomas, don’t you know better than to say that Pittsburg is in South Carolina”? “Oh! Misses I was thinking about the war.” Teacher’s diary “….—Visitor retired at noon after making some flattering remarks and expressing himself well pleased with the school.”

 

Well Lou, although having passed through a severe battle in safety (Thanks to a Kind protecting Providence) you will perceive that I am about the same Wils. as ever.—A little older, a little more experience and a firmer believer in peace and its happy concomitants, that’s all. It may be truly said that we have experienced most of the hardships incident to a Soldier’s life. I need not recount to you the story of the engagement of June 1^st with its many sanguinary scenes and horrid miseries. You will have it long ere this from other pens. And I need hardly tell you that having once entered the battle field, mingled with the wounded and seen the dead and dying/ that I am not anxious for its renewal. Would to God that this war were over. Yet, we expect another struggle sooner or later, but the sooner the better, and we are ready for it. When I came out it was not because I thought I would love a soldier’s life, but because I felt it to be my duty and that thought or rather feeling seemed to impel my enlistment. I have never regretted it, and the same feeling nerves my arm when the foe is within striking distance. I have a sort of impression that I will pass through this war unscathed, but that is now known only to the Great “I Am.”

 

I noticed, or rather I heard that your friend Lieut. Markle was wounded on the 31^st Capt. and Joe Craig are safe. I saw them a few days after. The 105^th suffered severely. Craig’s Co. was out on some duty and did not get into the fight until partly over.

 

Cy is writing to Alick and I presume he will give him the particulars of the/ past few days, and as you used to blame Alick for reading your letters, why of course he will have no objection to your reading Cy’s.

 

We have alarms, plenty of them, and on Sat. eve quite a heavy attack was made on our pickets who were driven in. But the Rebs got more than they bargained for as our cannon opened on them with shell, grape and canister, killing and wounding over a hundred of them, and we took fifty prisoners. The loss on our side was one killed and some wounded. It recurred on the R. R. on the left of our Div and the right of Hooker’s (Yesterday) and this morning everything has been very quiet.

 

Has your friend Miss Sweeny paid you a visit yet?

 

Have you seen Miss Mrs Beaumont since she has married?

 

I understand Wall. Moorhead is in B. Carpenter to Mr. Hill, and that he pays particular attention to Miss Helen Shepley. So says Miss Sallie Lewis. Do you know where the Blensville[?] Co is? I have not heard from them for a long time. My kind regards to all the family. Tell Alick I will write to him sometime. hoping to hear from you soon I remain

 

                                                                                                            Your friend

                                                                                                                        Wils.

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