Savannah Jan 3^rd 1865

 

Dear Parents               I will again try to write you a few lines I am now alone the regt has gone on duty leaving me and a few others here in camp to attend to the things and prevent them from being stolen I am yet what might be called a convalescent for I have hardly got over my spell of sickness but am not quite so weak as the officers think I am but that dont hurt me for I get rid of duty by it. with this letter I send you one of the Savannah papers and therefore I cannot write much the paper is som small but takes up some consider / able room but I thought that mabe it might interest you enough to pay for sending it. the general impression here is that the war will be over before spring I understand that the states of Georgia Alabama & La have petitioned to be admitted into the Union again. Whether it is so or not I cannot tell I hope so. When you write give as much war news as you well can I think that it is about time for me to get a letter from home or I should say from you as I have no other home but this for I deserted my home and now have no right to claim it as my home unless you / will forgive me and take me back to my your home and your hearts. I have often longed to be at home and with my Pa & Ma but that cannot be untill next October or the war ends. did you get my picture that I sent from Tod’s Barracks I wish you would send me yours also a small sum of money my is all gone my ink is very poor and blots I have lent $50 dollars to those in our company that had none but I am pretty sure to get it on pay day and the rest I spent. I spent considerable at Tod’s Barracks for food or I could not live on the grub that we got at the table and what I would buy I had to pay enormous prices for I bought most of our food (that is for the / mess that I was in untill we got this side of Atlanta where we got food in plenty by forageing for it then we had sweet potatoes chicken or fresh pork all the time untill we got to the Ogeechee River there the food got scarce again and we had to by buy of the boatmen at very high prices, only paying $1.00 for 6 ginger cakes that you you can get for 1 cent apiece in the North and in that way money soon is gon a man may have 4 or 5 00 dollars here and go to the sutler and it will be gone before he knows it neither can he account for it so please send me some more & I will send it back pay day as sure as my name is Ben Wilson alias Elam M. Day I think the latter name is the prettiest dont you Mother

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