Wooster Ohio

Feb 19^th 1909

 

Luther Hopkins

                                    Baltimore MD—

 

My Dear old Friend and Johney

            Enclosed find 1.10 Price of Book you So Kindly Sent me. My Friend Has not yet Returned and I feel It time for me to Settle my Bill, as I can not tell Just when He will Return. when I last wrote you I had not goten to your Part taken In the Willderness. I can not Help but think from you Posision that Day that I was very near to you. My Brigade the 1^st Brigade Second Div 5^th Corps went up the Plank Road In the morning In advance of all Infantry we moved to the Right of P. Road through the underbrush a Short Distance and layed Down 6 Regts. Each In Rear of the other namely the 11^th 12^th and 14 US Regts of Infantry. also the 5^th NY Elsworths old Regt the 140^th N.Y. & 156 Pa. the Confederates thare almost Surrounded us before we were aware and we Lost almost Half our Regt over 50 Killed outright of Course we done Some tall fighting as I Remember before we began to fight our way / and many of us Escaped, quite a number wer taken Prisoners but I got out with a hole Hide on that occasion. oh wasent It Hell In thare during that aufel Musketry. I thought a Ball Passed through Evry Square Inch of Space that Day. I do hope I may Some time have the Pleasure to meet you I think we Could Spend a few Hours In fighting It over that would would be Most Pleasant to boath. trusting we may and with best wishes to you and yours

 

                                    your Mortal Enamy

In those Days that tried our very Souls.

 

but Today Thank God "your Friend" and Brother with the Past feeling forever Hushed and Burried In the Grave of oblivion we will all meet very Soon my Dear Brother In the great Camp In that Beautifull beyond whare thare will be no distincton.      J. W. Bryant

 

Had I my way I would Pension Evry Confederate Soldier Just the Same as the blue.

 

oh yes now I think you will find the National Tribune Just the Paper for you to advertise your Book In and whatever good I can do you I Shall deam It a Pleashure to So do—

                                                                                                                        over Please /

a word or two more Please

 

Let me Say to you that you would be suprised to Know how many who were the Blue would favor a Pension to Evry old Boy Liveing Today who wore the Gray. were It not Today for the Politisions the Blue and the Gray would have meet In National Encamptment long ago we have fought for this at most all our Encamptments but a Set of Political Curs many who never Had the Courage to Fire a gun would Pull the wrong way. oh Could we but meet as the Blue and the Gray at one National Camp we would Show those windy fighters what Love and Friendship mean when Johney Reb and Yank meet.

 

I Expect In the near future to viset the old battle Fields. I have been over them before but will go again If I am Permited by that giver of all good when I do I Shall Cirtanly See you as I shall aim to go through your City.

 

            Please Excuse this Rambling Letter as I have writen It by Jerks Just as I got the time.

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