Camp near Falmouth, VA
Monday April the [sic- long blank area], 1863
Hopes the children are
better than they were in her last letter.
Regiment is out on picket:
Òthey went out on Saturday and left me and Lieut
Walker in Charge of the Camp we expect them back tomorrow if nothing
happens. Yesterday was a Dreadful
warm day it was hard work to keep Comfortable in the shade the mud is pretty
near all dried up and the grass looks fresh and green. Yesterday our division was Recieved [sic] by a foreign General. He was fixed up in all the grand and
most Costley [sic] Uniform you could imagineÓ. Tom feels bad because he hasnÕt heard
from Julia in a month ÒÉthe Docters [sic] Held Quite a Consultation Over
him yesterday and I shouldenÕt wonder if he got his
DischargeÓ. Tom is relieved from
hard duty. All the boys
talk about is money, some got paid but he doesnÕt know when he will get paid,
if will be for 4 months. He wonÕt
get any of his Sergeants pay this time but thinks he can send home $46 which
will leave him with only 6 dollars and heÕs afraid they wonÕt get paid for
another 4 months. He got the paper
and sealing wax she sent and Òthat letter you sent with Josephines
I have never receivedÓ. He only
gets one letter a week and itÕs from Clarinda. Lengthy closing hoping the children are getting better.