Point Lookout Md

July 19

                                                                                                                        

            Dear Father and Mother

I was not on guard to day so I thought I would write to you I am well at present and I hope you are the same I received my blouse yesterday the 18^th and it just came on the right time for mine was looking very shabby on dress Parade John got his box at the same time we are all getting along first rate out here but we would like a change for we are so penned up that we got tired of it but our time is going slowly on and there is but little of the 100 days left by the time it is up I think I will like soldiaring first rate I suppose you heard of the excitement here / we got extra ammunition issued to us all I have to lug around 60 rounds now and I tell you it is pretty heavy. we have been doing fatigue duty we came of off 24 hours guard and then had to go out side of the stocade and dig entrenchments for another 24 hours and that is a thing that is seldom done but our old fool of a colenel L A Wayne must have his nose in every thing we do not like him at all and the boys make fun of him and say that the first shark we see in the bay over he goes but we cant talk that way when he is around for he would slap us in the guard house.

 

they are getting ready 3000 prisoners / to send to camp in Elmira N.Y and there are rumors about that a part of our regt will go to guard them Co A & F. and I think it very likely 500 of the prisoners took the oath of Alligiance and went away some place. our Co attended a funeral of a N.Y. Captian yesterday it being the largest Co. he died of wounds in the Hospital here. the Invalid regt are out on guard mount they have a splendid brass band they took 64 men out of regt to help them one of our regt 2 or 3 guard mounts ago shot one of the rebels for coming to near the fence. one of them tried to get out into the bay in a Pork barrel but it got turned over and he was drowned. if you Pleas you can send me a little money for I have / to get my shoes mended pretty often because the sand out here just grinds the soles right of and you know that I am pretty hard on shoes any way when I am at home.

 

we have had a new set of orders from our new General we get up at 4. oclock and have roll call the have breakfast at 6

 

                                    Co drill ½6 to ½7

I have not got              dinner 12 oclock

a letter from                battallion drill ½4 to ½5

home since the                        dress Parade    6

9 of July except

the one for my blouse

 

I have no more news at present you must write often to me I have not got a letter from William yet and I am waiting day by day for one you must all write to me as soon as you get this send me some papers send them as late as you possibly can love to all my dear Brothers and Sisters write soon

                                                            Your affect Son J M^cKinney

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