Camp 2^nd Vt Vols

                                                                                    Near Peatersburg Va.

                                                                                    Feb 22^nd 1865

 

My Dear Mother

                        your kind & welcom letter was received last night & bleave me I was glad to hear from you this leaves me well at this time & hope these few lines will find you the same I am on Camp guard to day my post is on at the Col quarters I do not have to stay on through the night we go to our quarters at taps well this is a splendid day it is so warm & pleasant I am in the guard House sitting on a fine stick of wood a writeing we ar a haveing a good deal of duty to do now we ar a building a large fort it covers a bout 4 / acers of ground we have to go on guard twice a week & on fatige the same we keep a strong Picket for fear the johnyes will a tact us I went on Picket last Saturday come of Sunday I had a good time on Picket I changed papers with the johneys & gave them soap for tobacto we meat each other half way between our pickets posts & had a long talk with them there is some part as good fellows in their armey as there is in ours they ar getting as sick of this war every bit as we ar Sherman is doing a good thing we got the Ofical yestday that Charlestown was owers a number other places he will get before long the johnyes told me if Sherman got Charlestown they might as well give up / & they would have to (he told me thoes words) Sherman is going to be the man that will end this Rebellion I hope

 

you wanted to know if I was in the last fight no our Divsion did not go but we wear all redy if we should have been needned we had orders to be all packed up redey with 4 days ration part of our corps was ingaged but not our Divsion

 

we could hear the fighting plane it was a hard fight for a while we are all in hopes to be going Home in a bout 5 months or little over that is the rude opinion of all oh I hope it will be so for I am longing for this cruel war to end it is awful to think of to go into Battle & see them shot down all a round you I think of the willing agreed / dead & think why I was not among the dead it may not be for me to be killed & it may be we dont know how that is I am in hopes to get out a live & well

 

I dont want you Father & Mother to wory a bout me so I try to live as near right as I can I think a great meny times what Horace said on his death bed well the Rebs are coming in every night thicker & faster they come in the night I was on one of them that I had a talk with the day before he asked me what our men done with all thear men that come in our lines I told him fast what we don with them that they could have free tranesportation eny whare they wished to go North or Goverment imployment he told me he thought he should come to us in the night tonight as directed I told him he could come in to [?] in the morning a bout [?] he said a great meny would come in if they onley knew what would be done with them

 

about my box I have not got it yet but expect it the next time the express comes in it is to City Point I think & will be up here before long about sending clothing from the front it is imposable no such thing in the back there is no way I could get plenty if thare was eny way to send it to you I received the letter father wrote last before he started the box that is all

 

[margins] F & M except of much love from L.

we ar expecting to get payed of this week

 

you must not fret your self a bout that box I shall take just as much comfort here with it as I should eny whare else the things will keep in cold weather so I dont think there is eny use of feeling so bad a bout it I want you to write in your next what things you sent in the box

 

Mother have you writen to J. E. Thayer yet she wrote me that she had not hurd from you since she wrote

 

well it is a bout 4 oclock I have got to go on [?] then so I shall have to close for this time hope you will write oftner then you have done for I am anxious to hear from you often so good by no more this time your son L. W. Haven

 

hope father will not be sick long

 

[?] letter said that father had started

 

Received his letter [?] well

SOURCES