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                        Co (I) 148 Regt

                        N Y Vol Portsmouth

                                                Va

                                                            L

 

 

Portsmouth Virginia

May 29^th/63

 

            Friend Pete

                 I rec^d a letter from Frank a few days since in whitch he said you wished me to drop you a few lines

 

            I seat myself to comply with your request cheerfuley hopeing soon receive an answer & with it Wilsons adress I wish he was in this Reg^t for we have a very kind Col. the prospects are we will have easey times this summer we are doing Provo dutey / in this City we came her the 18^th We have comfert Quarters in ware houses & deserted stores our Co is quarterd in a ware house out one the a peir where we get the sea breze it is said to be as healthey a place as there is in these parts this has bin a butiful Citey noted as it was for the best harbor in Amarica but now it is but one mass of ruins the Navey yard whitch covers 75 acers of land is but a fair specimen of the desolation of Va there nothing but the wall & two or three buildings left of what the United States / was once proud to call the Gosport Navey yard the Old United States lays near the dry doc She was once the fastes sailing vessel that traverst the waters of the Atalantic & others may be seen at allmost eny direction at low tide where they were burned when our cowardley comador surendered the yard I dont know as he is worthey the name coward (as bad as it is for peopel say he was bought and they know it Sutch sights & weeping women & Fatherless tel Children the tell the tale of Virginia the Mother of States May / the Sacred Soil of Va as Gov Wise yous to say so mutch of before the outbreak of this unholey Rebellion but alas Va has become to us a Sacred Soil indeed to meny of our bravest Boys have waterd [?] God forssake plains with there blood & they are now yes ever will the North heave a sigh deep & long for hur brave sons as she looks toward Va

 

& you ask a ragged half starved child in this City where his Pa is the answer will be he died at Fredicksburg or Rich-d or on the peninsla but sutch knowes is the sad reality of war that the noth knows nothing of                        respects to all

 

write soon       yours Truley   O.F.L

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