Before Richmond Va

                                                                                                                        Oct 25^th 1864

 

Dear Friend Hat.

                                    Yours of the 19^th came to hand yesterday and knowing as I do how anxious you must bee to hear from Sylvester, I take this opertunity to write you a few lines.

 

Sylvester has been here with the Regt under the care of Dr Wheeler untill yesterday. His wound was not getting along quite as fast as it ought and we were liable to get orders to move at any moment so he was sent to some hospital at Fort Monroe or some northern hospital. His wound is not a bad one but they could not give him proper care here / so they thought best to send him away. I tried my best to have him go when he was first wounded but he wanted to stay with the company. I think he will stand a good chance of getting a furlough. supose you would be overjoyed to see him.

 

I am allmost homesick. dont know but I should bee quite if it would do any good. It seems as though my friends were all gone. I am the only one left that came from Brookfield and no knowing where I should have been if I had been staid in the company. When we left Glocester Point (about six months ago) we had eighty men now we have about twenty five. How sad it seems to think / how many of our young men are being killed and or maimed for life in this horrible war. Poor Charles Dickinson. I went to the hospital to see him soon after he was wounded. I did not think at that time that he would live as long as he did. but he thought he should get over it. He was a very good and steady boy young fellow.—

 

We were paid yesterday. Sylvester got his before he went away. we got two months pay and one installment making in all Eighty two dollars. havent made up my mind whether to send any home or not guess I had better keep it here and spend it.

 

The nights are getting quite cold. we have built small log houses and banked them up with dirt but I slept rather cold last night. /

 

I must draw this to a close for the mail closes soon. I presume Sylvester will write you as soon as he gets to the hospital.

 

I hope you will write me often for there is no one now in the regiment for me to ask what news they got from East Brookfield

write soon

 

                        Yours &c

                                                Elbridge Hume

                                                Co. I. 24^th Mass Vols

                                                10^th Army Corps

                                                Before Richmond Va

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