Camp Parole,

                                                                                                Annapolis, Md.

                                                                                                            Sept. 27. 1862.

 

Dear Jennie:—To-day it was my good and high privilege of receiving two very interesting letters from you, one of which came direct in my own name and the other under cover of an envelope directed to James Irwin, both of which were very welcomely received by me, and so will all be that you send, It matters not under what circumstance they may reach me, only so that I can be the happy receiver of them. I am pleased to hear that they both left you while in good health and reached me, finding me in very excellent health and in high spirits on account of the gorious victories achieved on the battle field by our untiring troops, under the gallant and excellent General M^cClellan. Would he have been in command of the last Battle of Bull Run our Army would have come off victorious, but as it was it did not, for General Pope has not had military experience enough to carry on a battle like that to victory, and I think it was high time that our goverment had the goodness to let M^cClellan direct the battles as he saw most appropriate. And now with M^cClellan at the head of our great Army once more I expect to hear of victory after victory until the accursed rebels are driven so far South that they will not have any more foothold, or, will be led to exclaim that it is useless to combat any longer against the north, but submissively lay down their arms and offer themselves up to the north as a conquered rebel crew and be willing to live under the Stars & Stripes again. /

 

            I don’t want you to trouble yourself so much about us Paroled Prisoners being formed into Companies and transported or rather transferred to the West to fight against a lawless set of savage Indians. I am not, in the least, surprized that that report reached your ear, for it has been rumored here to some extent, and has also caused quite an amount of dissatisfaction among the soldiers in Camp. But at that point it stops, for it is and was only a rumor gotten up by some persons on purpose to raise an excitement. Here we are as Paroled Prisoners, and ere we were Paroled we had to give our word and honor and many had even to take the oath that we would never take up arms nor aid or abet the United States, against the Southern Confederacy until we are regularly exchanged, and any one can plainly see that if Paroled Prisoners (unexchanged) go out West and take up arms against the Indians, that they will be aiding our goverment against the South, For if we should go out there, why those soldiers, who are now there would be relieved and taken down South and thereby strengthen our army against the South, to the amount of Paroled Prisoners sent West. And you can plainly see that such actions on our part would be conflicting with our word, honor and oath. And you well know that such a goverment as we have would never exact any such a thing of us. Far be it from it. And so Dear Jennie as you place so much confidence in whatever I say Take my word for it that so far, there are no fears of us / ever taking up arms again until we are regularly exchanged. and when that exchange takes place, why you may rest assured that that instead of us going West, we will be sent to our Company and Regiment and then wherever the regiment moves, why there we will be. But I, too express myself candidly I must say, that I fear that there will be no exchange made while the war lasts. And Oh! must I then lay in Camp doing nothing all that time, without having another opportunity of being a member in full of old Company G. No doubt you will laugh and say so much the better for you and me. But I can’t say so. But surely let that all be as it will, and no doubt it will all be for the better. But one thing don’t you trouble yourself about me going West, for it is so far as I can ascertain nothing but a perfect hoax. So let content be yours and rest easy and do not place any confidence in any more such reports. We are getting along finely in this Camp, and if I am to stay in any Camp during the coming winter, I hope and trust that it will be this one, for here I can content myself as well as in any other Camp under present circumstances. Here we get our rations as regular as clock work, we get soft bread every day in the week except on Saturday, and for that day we have to take crackers. But the bread we get for the six days lasts us for the week, so the crackers are an overplus. Every other day we get fresh beef, and plenty of everything else / all the time. I would not wish to live better than we live here, for we have every convenience for cooking, and it is a poor cook that cant make good meals out of the allowance we get. The only thing we have any reason to complain of is that they are very slow in issuing clothing to us, but by having patience for a few days yet, we will be clothed as well as we were before we lost our extra clothing on the battlefield.

 

            Give my Love to Lue and Sue and tell them that I am in good health and getting along swimmingly well, and have a gay time in Camp. Many scenes that have taken place in Camp here I will leave untold untill I get to see you again.

 

My best respects to your mother & Aunt and to all others who may be inquisitive enough to inquire about me.

 

So to you my Dear Jennie as my Dearest friend on Earth, I will truthfully confess to you that I doubt not a word you say in your letters to me, but And that I take every word as truth direct from the heart, And so Dear Jennie: fear not how you write, but for all you say is truth to me and is gladly received, and kept in remembrance.

 

            So be as contented as you can for here I am, and here I will remain for some time to come, and no danger of me ever having to go out west while I remain a Paroled Prisoner.

 

            So hoping that this will reach you and have a tendency to put you in better spirits I close by asking a speedy answer and signing myself your ever true and devoted friend and admirer, until death parts us,

 

                                                            Yours forever and ever

                                                                                    John.

 

Direct as before

            and

                        it

                                    will

                                                reach me

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