Camp Near Turkey run

Saturday Evening April the 24 1864

 

Dear Wife

                        I recevd 2 letters from you since i have answered one i have been very buisey this week a moving we moved camp broke up and marched on towards the front some six miles then encamped by a woods it is very warm hear and we expect to move on towards the field of battle to morrow you must right oftan now this is the last day that the mail is allowed to leave camp untill sixty days has rolled round then we are allowed they say to send letters again i do not know yet wether the ordor is so or not but i think it is true but the law does not prohibet you from sending me as many as you can you do not know how bad i feel know not home sick but you sent me the little boys picture / and part of yourself just one shoulder and hand and part of your dress just out of my sight was your pretty face it looked if you did not want to see me and hid your face the little boy looks like its mother but John Cocks is not a good oparator the pictur will soon spoil i have so much to carry that i shall send some of it home as soon as the mail opens again the spring campaign is opened and we expect to have a fight next week all the men that ware mounted was sent off this afternoon and we drew five days rations and two days rations for the horses and your picture i do not expect to get very soon and perhaps never all the men wear piked out to day and your husband was one of them so you see that i am a good man Sutphen / was sent off and about 25 others some of them old soldiers billy and Stryker was kept to all the good ones and the poor ones sent off no one knowes whither i hope by the time you get this i will have your picture i did not wait so long as you and i had to even get a premit to go get mine taking you aught to see us after the rabbits wat are they full billy eats them they are good he says i went fishing to day and caught a fine mess and then went and help clean them the stream that i caught them in is called Turkey run i was a cutting a sargents hair and billy cooked them and i went to get a pice and their was none he had give them all away to a sick man but i guess he eat them three of them was big suckers and 4 was elles the rest sunfish and tuses i guess wen i catch any more i will eat them / along the creek and i guess then i will fix them i hope this letter will reach you i sent you a letter with one in for John Carr i have asked you for in one letter since and got no answer but i hope that this one will reach you you said your father got my letter but you did not tell me wat he said do tell me i shall send them all a letter as soon as i can if you do not get any more from me in quite a good wile you will know wat is the reason i guess you have lost your watch i am sorrie but it was not worth mutch and wen i get home i will get you a good one now be a good girl and send me all the news you can if you have nothing to do get books and learn all you can but take good care of yourself mind dont you go to work but set up strait and lean your head back now mind wat i tell you and i guess you will get along the number of dismounted men that went out of our camp to day was about 400 tell all the people to write and tell them the reason that i do not wright we have about 5 inspections a day H H Covert

 

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