Dear Brother and Sister;—

                                                                                                                                    I suppose you think I have forgotten to answer your kind epistle but that is not the case. I have often thought I was not doing my deauty, but I thought I would wait untill I would get to camp.

 

Kind Sister and Brother I suppose you are proud that you have friends that have volunteered in defence of their country. Oh! how it has called and I felt as though it was my deauty to go. It is true, friends that are near and dear, its hard to part with, yet how many have left their homes, their firesides, and their dear friends, and I thought if I would not go I would ever think that I did not perform my deauty.

            I am happy to state that Brother Mosy and I are enjoying tolerable good health. Sometimes we have the dysentery but all / the boys have that. We are well at present and hope these few lines imperfect as they may be will find you and all the rest of the friends enjoying the same blessing.

 

Perhaps you would like to know where our camp is and how it is situated. It is situated on the west bank of the whetstone river and south of the City of Delaware, in Delaware County Ohio. I am still getting farther from home instead of getting home. I wanted to go home and volunteer their but I could not. They passed a law that no one dare leav the state or even the county. I tell you I was in a tite place but I made up my mind very soon. At the time, they were raising a company in Shelby and I just went and volunteered at once; now I am a soldier and I intend to do my deauty as long as I can. I would of liked to see you all but if I never get to see you on / earth I trust we may meet in Heaven there to part no more. Dear Sister; your letter I read and was pleased to hear how happy you felt when near the verge of eternity. Oh! may God ever bless us all, and watch over us. I thought of you often when you were sick, and wished that I could see you but the distance was to great. I trust and pray that health may attend us all, and that we may all meet again.

 

I wish it was not so far I would have you all to visit us in our camp. It is a very nice place and I think you could all enjoy yourselves.

 

            I am glad to say that we have good officers. Our Captain is a preacher and so is our first lieutenant also. Our second lieutenant is no preacher but a profeser of religeon. I am glad to say that we have a tolerable nice Company. Forty-three of the Shelby boys camp in one house and every evening before we retire we bow / to God and ask Him to watch over us. Our first Lieutenant just came again; he had went to Shelby. We had preaching in camp on Sunday evening at 4, oco. We had a very good sermon. Oh! how he impressed religeon on our hearts. He spoke of the dear friends at home and told us that they would remember us in their sincere prayers. He also told us to remember our friends. Oh! I feel as though there have been prayers offered in our behalf. We ask you still to pray for us and all our friends and asotiates. At present prayer is all our hope. Our second first Lieutenant sleeps with us, he is a very nice man, I like him very well.

 

Dear Brother and Sister please pardon me for not writing sooner. I hope you will forgive me this time I will try and do better the next time.

 

I will have to close for this time as we will have to go and drill soon. The Captain told us that we should try and learn fast as we did not know how soon we would be hirled into the battle-field.

 

I will now close by wishing you health and happiness, and hope we may all meet our friends again.

 

                                                                                    From your Brother            Farewell.

Camp Delaware. Sep 9^th 1862.                                                                       Henry Wetzel

            Please write soon and direct

            your letter.      Henry Wetzel.

                                                Camp Delaware.

                                                            121 reg. Ohio. V. M.

                                                                        Delaware Co.

                                                                                    Ohio.

                                                            In care of Capt. Martin

 

My love and respects to you and all inquiring folks. Write soon and give me all the particulars. Brother Mosy told me that he would write soon. He sends his respects to you. Good bye.

SOURCES