Camp at Hagerstown

                                                                                                            Octtober 5 1862

 

            Dear Friends at Home I take my pencle in hand once more to write to you I have not heard from you for a long time now the reason is I sopose that I do not hear from you we do not get the mail we have not got it but once since we have been here I do not know the reason why we dont get it one thing is Smiths Division is scartered round so it is more work getting the mail destinited a round to each Brigade I am well & hope / these words will find you all the same we are haveing fine weather here rather cool nights though it seemes like Fall the leaves have begun to fall it is most a year now since we started to come out here I beleave we started the 10 of this month did we not Father have you got through at rockingham yet or not I should think it would be could prety cold working on a frame theare now

 

I should like to have you all see the corn that is raised round here you can rase twice the corn out here with half the laber then you can in Vt thear is a large / feald of corn in sight that is all cut & staked & the ground has been sowed with grain since we have been here

 

they huske the corn in feald out here mostley they dont have much barn room out here they stake ther hay mostley what they cut they dont rase meny potatoes here I have been to meeting this forenoon to hear our new Chaplin preach I liked him very much we had the meeting under the some large trees I would like to call in & see you all to night & have a good long chat & eat some of your supper mother I guess / you would not have much left to put a way but we dont starve here we have enough such as it is if we could not get out once in a while & get a good meal of vitales to eat it would seem sill harder farmers live well abut here meales are cheap onley 25 cts a meal they rase a great deal of poltery they cook them & get up a good meal they sell them to soldiers we have some good meales two or three put in & by some chickens for 12 cts a peace & make a soup put in soft bread dumplings we live well some times & fare hard some times we Soldiers fare well when we come a crossed good union folkes they treat & ade us well well they think a Soldier is Somebobd Somebody it is quite a sight for them to see us

 

Well I must close for now & paper is getting scarce write soon as you get this

                                                                                                            from your Son

 

L W Haven good bye

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