Annapolis Md. Sept 4^th/63

 

Dear Father

                                                Your letter of the 18^th Augt I received yesterday it gave a detailed account of our victories in July that is where they were gained & on what date they it were very interesting & I am very much obliged to you but I am sory you took so much trouble on my account.

 

I am glad to hear that that the towns on the river are growing so finely & particularly East Saginaw.

 

You wanted me to visit the navy yard & see them building iron clad ships I should like very much to see them building such ships but as there are none building here of any kind I think I shall have to wait a while

 

This is not such a place as you would / suppose it wold be from the fact of its being the Capitol of a state & having a navy yard located in it & also having a large College situated in it. the College is used as a hospital at the present time. I could learn just as much in Grand Rapids why this place has not the first thing in it worth seeing there are not at the outside I think over three thousand inhabitants here. I am sory you to so much trouble to get me a ferloug for I think it be of no avail the major who commands the barracks sent for me more than a week a go to come to his office I went & he said you had writen to him asking for a ferlough for me he said he did not see any chance for one now he asked if I was not pretty well contented I told him I was but the way with / me is when I enlisted I made up my mind where ever I found my self to be contented & think I have done it pretty well so far when a fellow is soldering his home is where ever nite overtakes him & he may as well be contented as any other way.

 

I dont want to come home much now when I first came here I thought I should have to come home before I could get right again but I clensed my blood & have got a good appetite now & wish I could be exchanged & return to the regiment they are stationed at Falmouth at present.

 

I am glad to hear that our regt has such a good name in the state they were over-powered by numbers at Gettysburg but I did not think then nor do I now that it was any excuse for / scatering like sheep as they did. they did not hold the field untill the first came to their support as reported I saw about one half of them rally once but they ran again almost before the reble cavalry got to them just as before it is said that by those that were taken since that that they rallied again on the hill I receive three letters from home at the same time I received yours of the eighteenth one of them was from you dated Augt 29^th & containing money to the amount of 5 Dollars which I am very much obliged to you for. You also offered to let me board at some house but there are four of our company here who have been with me ever since I crosed the Potomac on my way to Staunton to were taken at Gettysburg & two at Hagerstown & I should prefer to stay with them the money which you sent me the first time came just when I neaded some of it as bad as I have neaded any yes worse than I have neded any since I enlisted. I was quite unwell for a week or ten days & although we got a great deal better food than when in the hands of the rebles it was far from being all that we are allowed we have coffee & boiled meat for breakfast rice or bean soup for dinner & coffee for supper & once in about ten days a little black molasses with it. that is the bill of fare the month round of course we have salt pork or beef in stead of fresh beef once in a while but it is allways boiled. it was not the thing for a sick man as you can judge & I had to buy a little once in awhile to eat.

 

I received a letter at the same time from Mother by which I see she has not lost the old notion of getting me out of the army & enclosed with yours was one from Henry saying almost if / not quite word for word a part of Mothers letter asking me to come home but saying that mother did not tell him to write it.

 

If I had known that they still hung to that I should not have proposed to come home on ferlough at all because I know what kind a fuss I should have had to get away when my time was up.

 

I have had a hard time to write this letter on account of the wrestling & runing on the floor.

 

You letters were all except the last one were miscarried they went to the regt you must put College green barracks before you put the number of the regt.

 

My love to all.

 

You son.

W^m G. Gage.

[margins]

 

You must have been mistaken about enclosing stamps with the money for there were none.

 

I received the handkerchief & red pepper which Mother sent me & should have acknowledged it before. tell Mother that it came just in time & I am very much obliged to her

 

[note top margin]

 

Gettysburg      from Annapolis '63

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