Camp Reno Brasher City        March 8, 1863

 

Frank it is a fine day here to day we had a good surmon from the Elder to day also good sining enything to pass the time away makes no difference what. his tex you will find in john the 15 Chapter and the 12 vearse this is my commandment that ye love one another as I have loved you he went on to say that we are far away from home and that we left fathers, &, mothers, &, Brothers, &, sisters, &, wives, & Sons &, Darters to morn after ous and for our return home thear was a great many tears shed I could not help it my self

 

in the other letter before this I put in fifty cents for your Birth day present I hope you got it I also wrote sister a letter at the same time see if she has got hers also marting a paper and you one to it is vary still times here at present I hope it will remain so as long as I stay here I feel some better now I dont cough so hard sense the Rash has Broke out on me again I hope it will stay out off from my lungs if I do hafter cratch it bad Better it in all over my Body whom it struck in before it makes me sick I hope it will ceap on the oute side of my Body this time

 

the talk is in camp today that we are a going Back to gard the Rail Road again I hope so if we do I think we shall stay on the road as we stay in lousiania and that I wount Be two months from now I think Oh you dont know how we suffer with the misquetoes here that ceap a pillow in motion all the time night and day. no more to day. the 9^th we had a fine day and a fine drill to day one of the general staff drill ous on the form of the line of Battle. the Rebels on the other side of the Bay are gitting purty well starved out we are holding them puty fast now a grate many of the inhabetents

 

are suffering for provisin tha cant git any at all it is hard for the poor class here and the ritch also tha cant stand it mutch longer it looks hard through the southern states and see every thing lay to wast houses deserted and all of thear Buildings going to waste an the fencis Birnt oup all through whear the solgers go the 114^th Regement when started had 1050 men now tha haint 450 men fit for duty the Remainder are sick and good for nothing tha have got discourage an down harted tha begin to think tha never will reach home again I dont think so for I shall see oxford once more march the 11. no letter yet if you write once a week I should git one in a grate while

 

                                                Asa Holmes

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