May 20^th 1863

 

Dear Uncle

                        I recd your letter of the 16^th yesterday and was very happy to hear from you once more. It has been nine days since I got a letter and I began to think some thing was the matter. This is the second letter I have commenced to write to you I got the first one all tar and go I tore it in two and commenced anouther we have been at work on the rigging and I have had my hand in a tar bucket for the first time in two years not much chance for a fellow to learn any thing but a splendid chance to forget all that I do know I shal have to go in a merchant man again / and learn over again

 

I am glad to hear that William has got employment and I hope he will be contented and do some thing for himself and I think he might if it was not for one thing and I suppose you know what that one thing is as well as I do. The weather is fine here and it makes the sweat roll off of a fellow to to exercise with the big guns we drilled about an hour this morning and it made the sweat roll off us like rain it is getting rather warm to drill. I saw by the New York herald that Stone Wall Jackson was killed but he may come to life again he has been dead so many times but I think this time he is dead

 

I expected that Gen Hooker / give the rebs all they wanted but it seams he did not or at least he did not whip them well I think it is about time that our sid began to do something pretty soon it will be too hot and then they will wait till fall and keep on waiting the same as they have done all along I should like to see them go in and do something both by land and water and see if they cant bring this war to an end or else cut the end and keep at it forever

 

I do not know of much more to write this time.

 

I see a greatdeal in the papers about relief societies for the wounded soldiers but I never saw in the papers or any other place one word about poor Jack they never / think of him. I believe the navy and its sailors have done a little of the fighting in this war yit they are never thought of or eaven spoken of and if they are sick they must rough it no thanks to them for what they have done for their Country never mind they are good for it yet and can stand it that is all this time.

 

Give my love to all the folks

 

I will try and fix this letter so that you cannot read any of it untill you open it

 

                                                                        From your

                                                            Nephew

 

                                                            William H Mabury

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