U.S. General Hospital

Armory Square Washington D.C.

March 9^th 1863.

 

Dear Aunt

                        Your letters of the 5^th was duly received yesterday. I am very glad that you are all well and hope to be a great deal better myself soon I am some better now since I have been under a new [?] I have improved fast I have been trying the Electricle and vapor Baths, as the only remedy for now that will do me any good I fully believe I may get well of this for the present but I can never bear the same exposure that I have done before. I think in the course of a year or six months I shall get so I can work again but I shall try to get away from this divilish spot this hospital is poisoned by the female nurses and no one is alowed any thing only what the dr prescribes and that must go through the medicine clerk if all the women was like that / one we have here there would be war all the time every man must not lay on the bed in the day time or put on his cap or speak aloud or put his boots on stove or in the day time if such a thing is done it is reported and the offender is shovd into the guard house No person whatever is to bring in any thing to the patients they refused to let the relief association bring anything here yesterday the surgeon in charge is completely under political government it is coming to the point that all the nurses will get [?] here if they dont look out the men are not alowed any luxureys only what they are a mind to buy of the sutler that dr Bliss has in the yard getting to be a damn fine thing when a man is discharged he must leave every thing he has had of the government and he has to lose it all this is to make money out of as / soldiers they have to pay the men of in the Hospital first so the Government will get it back fore the PayMaster cant go to the army to pay them. I have not been paid yet but I hope to be soon & I want to get something to eat once more for what we get here is not fit for the hogs to eat I never lived so poor in the army as they do here they have they the best of choices for every thing they are alowed 30 cts a man and Bliss says he draws only 18 quid a difference the men are getting mad and there is not much use of a relief society now for if they dont give those comforts direct to the men it is confiscated and then charged to them and they put the money in there own pocket. I have seen nothing of John or heard any thing of him since I came here I have sent to him both by mail and visitors them that know where to go there is a Worcester man here in one of the wards his name is Lawson. / There is a woman from Boston she is as much different from the one we have as you can think pretty fair she is The night fireman is a firstrate fellow he is from Chelsea his name is Browne he has been with me 3 times to the baths and he likes to, we have good times when the mistress is out of the way if I should get my discharge I can get my bounty any how and that is all I care about now but I dont expect any thing of the kind this Electricity the government has had nothing to do with in my case I am indebted to a woman for the benefit she is also of that kind she wants to see the sick get up and enjoy themselves if she wants to take a man out of the ward she does it with out asking any question about the matter that is / kind of a woman that the men like to see she is kind and wants to do all she can for them she has spent lots of money for the benefit of Electricity in other Hospitals but the old Dr dare not charge anything he is from france he is a fine old man are you going to get your affairs settled without much trouble I hope that you will come out all right with your business is Mr Chase doing it for you do you hear anything from Sarah it is strange she dont write me I have heard nothing from her since Walter died. if Willard had his fuel business here he could make money. I think you must not expect much this time I think they will change my location pretty soon for I have been here 4 weeks yesterday and it is about time to make a change / I have gotten both the news paper and writing paper and stamps you sent me if there is a story going round that William stone is getting in that course he had better make up his mind to love a long life for it will take him some to measure the building thereof she is a big lump but she as good big kind and generous heart in proportion to her circumference I should laugh about as even a match as Gab Mclean and Hellen Knowllen Ha, he will have to get abuse expressly for his trouble. well Aunt this is kind of nice to think of if this is short I hope it is sweet this written for you all or I dont know where Ann would get her share of the fun and then Charly I have not mentioned him but then he must stand by and look on with his mouth not opened though no harm to Charly you must find a line somewhere in the page. 

 

I think from your description that the times were good at home and if you get a city [?] in that vicinity you would feel kind or glad or something like it for a place of business seems to make every thing round it look pleasant and helps to make one happy never mind as I allways thought there is a bright side to this world if we only knew it but however it is but to allways look for one but you seem to have one all round your house. I should like to have been at the Calico Ball I hope you Ann wont think my fingers have droped acquaintences with the pen when you read this short letter will you for if you do—

 

Well I will tell you I am a little better I [?] and then I have got at it and having nothing else to do why then Id write I have to look at your letter to find some idea though I guess I will try my left hand and see how it works in that / now if you laugh I shall stop ha ha can't stand that looks as [?] wrote it I can make the marks but my hand trembles so I cant draw the pen strait pretty good for the first time. well Ann I believe I have answered pretty much all there is March came in like a shower bath here of ice water and I hope the next time it comes it will bring the 7 baskets of crumbs that was left by the multitude so that we can have some thing to eate I [?] that the fishes might get water if they was freed an taste better than that raw salt fish we had for breakfast this morning

 

and now my love to your

kind hearts one and all the

same from your

good true obedient and loving

 

            Nephew                       W^m P Hall

                                    Washington D.C.

 

[margin]

 

if you cant read it tell me so and I will try to do better next time

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