Jackson Hospital Danville Ky. Jan. 18/1863

 

                        Dear Laura & Babies

                                                I hardly know how to write this morning I am all knocked to pieces I have not had a letter from home in nearly two weeks they tell us here that the rail road between this place & Covington is entirely blocked up with snow, a thing so unusual in Kentucky that they are entirely unprepared for it. We have had nothing in the shape of news for the past ten days we have no idea how things are going on at home or farther south either I suppose of course you have heard the particulars of the battle between Rosencrans & Bragg at Mumfordsville so that would be no news also what had been done towards taking Vicksburgh. There is a great deal of sickness among the Soldiers at this camp you see we have a pretty extensive camp here: there is about 15,000 men here or was when we first encamped here but I tell you they are getting thinned out death is doing his work pretty effectually they go at the rate of a bout two or three daily but Lord that is nothing for soldiers: they all destitute of souls as a pack of hounds what is a soldier's life to himself or family nothing / I tell you when I look around me and see the utter heartlessness of those men wearing shoulder straps & see how little regard they pay to the promises they made when we made them what they are it sickens me of the whole affair. When we elected C. T. Dunham our Capt. he promised us he would never leave the Company well the way he has kept his word is just this he has never been with his Co. one day since we left Covington but has left the boys under the charge of his brother. well that I find no particular fault with but when we had one of the best 2^ond Lieutenants in the world he was forced to resign by a drunken Col. and so things have gone on until from the flower Co. of the 92 Regt. our Co. has got to be a by-word & reproach all through the Reg't. It is enough to sicken a man of military even if he had stronger tastes for it than I have and the Lord knows there are but few whose tastes are so weak as mine I tell you there is not ten men in the 92 but if their discharge was offered them today would take it and start for home tomorrow

 

The thing is drawing to a close the men are beginning to manifest disatisfaction the Kentucky troops are / deserting by the dozen and going home their commissioned officers are resigning every day and so are ours which I tell you is not without its effect on the privates. (well there another another like that and I won't write any more to day there is a fellow here sick and a little flighty he just said "I'll tell you when I smell the powder." and he said it so all fired funny that it nearly killed evry one in the room

 

Well to resume the story the officers resigning is telling on the men they are taking advantage of it to go home as fast as they can get citizen's clothes and a great many go without. I think my time is about out in the ranks there is three chances for me two in the Hospital and one to drive one of the sick carriages call "ambulances" if I can get the chance in the Hospital that want I will take it if not I will take the team and then I shall be in no danger the chance in the Hospital is the Stewardship it pays $30.00 per month which is tolerable good and they tell me my chance for it is better than any else so you see I may succeed in getting it. I hope so at any rate for a fellow has a horse to ride if I don't succeed in either / then I shall succeed when warm weather comes in trying my hand at leaving unless the war is brought to a close in the mean time which I think there is little prospect of at present unless there has been something doing very lately which I very much doubt.

 

Now Laura let us have a little talk you say you are fretting now I want you to tell me one thing what in the world are you fretting about do you know is there no danger of a person dying at home? you are writing to me of the different ones who have died in the course of the winter in and around Pecatonica well I am certain well I am certain the deaths there considering how few people are there in comparison to the numbers here are two to one on an average. so you certainly need not fret on that account for we have not one of us a lease of life not even from one day to another. Now Laura I want you to just think that it is for your own good and that of the children for you to not allow yourself to be troubled at all your fretting won't bring me home any sooner if you fret ever so much just think of that and cool down         David R. Burgess

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