Camp Sanders May 8^th/64

 

Dear Father and Mother and Sister

                                    how do you all do this fine Sabath morning I am prety well I thank you I received two letters from home last week was glad to here you was all well since I wrote you last I have been transfered into Schmits company of log rolers it is the same company that Henry is in the reason of my being transfered was because I did not like to drive cattle I went to the quartermaster and told him that he might discharge me or tranfer me jest as he was amind to for I could not nor would not drive oxen and so he said that he would transfer me and asked me where I wanted to go I am getting $40 a month for my work we do / not have to work very hard and when we get to camp we are done for the night when I drove team after we got to camp we had to feed the cattle and that was a hard job and we was in danger of getting hooked to death only a day or two before I left Rays trane I had all the buttons hooked off my vest and the top one off my coat that was closter than I cared about being hooked at

 

you wanted me to tell you if I knew where Billy Beebe was he is in the hospital at Nashville he is sick with the measles Jim Warner is there to Leander Doolittle is sick with them to but he has not gon to the hospital

 

            the nuse came here the other day that Sol Prichards wife was dead the letter sayed that she / started to go home and the horse run away and killed her and one of the children I hope it is not true Sol says he does not believe it he thinks someone wrote it to make him feel bad and to make him come home tell me if it is true or not in your next

 

I have got a nice place to write I am in a red cedar grove it is a splended place I tell you

 

you say it is cold up there yet it is so warm here in the day time that it almost melts us but the nights is rather chilly corn is up three or four inches here the trees are all leaved out you wanted to kno what we have to eat well it is hard tack and Sow belly and other rations such as wust to get in the army

 

the government is responsible for my pay there is no doubt but that is / all right I am going to send you some thorns such as grow on the prickly pear down here the ground is almost covered with them in some plases it is dangerous to go out bear foot after dark on account of them you may lay that photograph up that Belle sint till I get home and if you write to her you can tell her that I would be much obliged to her if she would send the vetruns picture back give my respects to all of the young folks write soon and oblige

                                                                                                                                    Newell

 

P S direct as be fore Box 770

if you or Ernie write to henry direct

to box 220 Nashville

SOURCES