Alenexandria Tuesday Wensday the 2 1864

 

Dear Wife

                        we did not move on the day i suppoesed we did not start untill Monday twelve oclock and we arived on tuesday night we had pasenger cars untill we arived at philadeffia then they put us in the cattel cars we arived at philadelphia 7 oclock started for baltimore ten arived at baltimore at 7 got our brexfast nothing to but wat we had in our haversacks until then one man took a french wile we was coming along the road that was all although there was severel that wanted to i stoped one fellow in philidelphia just as we came to the depot there was a small alley he looked around for the gard and i just stepped in the alley that filed the alley up any how he did curs / be still said i or i call the guard and he will put the bracelets on you they put the bracelets on four fellows as it was we have better living hear than at trenton that is the damdest hole i was ever in no sugar or milk hear we get sugar and milk in the coffey the water tast so funny you would lauf it tast just like sulpher we came a past the slavepen last night it is cedar logs in the ground about twenty feet high and sharp points so they cannot clime over it the pen is in ruiens now but the small pen that the bad wuns ones and the punishment is there still they punish the soldiers in it if they do not behave themselves the punishment is a stream of coald water pouring on them for any length of that they seem fit to put on them i will tell you how long the punshment will let you / live if you are a good man you can live two hours if not one and a half ther was a man threttend with it this morning for spitting in another mans face it takes six weeks to get over 20 minets in the bath i sent a note to you aunt in trenton to bring some butter but she never came i did not care she can do just as she pleses about it your father did not come to see me nor you ether i suppoes you did not want to see me if you will answer this letter i would be to happy to recive if you think it worth an answer i will make it worth one i sent you a letter in trenton with ten dollars in just tell me if you recived it you can keep the money i send you make the money the township gave me make it three hundred that goes out on interest / you keep as much money as you can with you be very carfull with it but do not be mean keep good care of evry thing i expect to go to the regiment tomorrow we get our armes to morrow day address Henry H Covert Company I First

New Jersey Cavelry

                        In care of Captin

                        G. V. Beekman

 

P. S. tell father thes boots take wonderfull in the army one man ofered me ten dollars and his boots for them i expect to send him some ordors for some soon it snowed all through maraland i have not toald you half but i will right very often if i get my letters answerd i shall send ten more dollars in this letter but i shall want an answer before i send more

your loving Husband H H Covert

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