Camp Seward

November 5th 186

Wednesday Evening in Camp

Early Candle Light

[letterhead says CLEVELAND with multicolor print of city and woman, Buckeye State Soldiers, “MOTTO” We live for the Union, We die for the Union, We will uphold the Union”]

Feeling better but not on duty yet. James DeForest said he got a letter from Bill unhappy that Peter and Fletch don’t write so he did. Got her letter, good news from home, and twice mentions he doesn’t want her working so hard on coats for fear she will work too much. “Fletch and me are a writing at the same time by Candle light and all alone and he laughed when I told him that you wrote about our singing. Tom has just come in the tent and was a crying because he don’t get any letters I should think Julia might write to him all the time she haint got anything else to do”, asks her to speak to Julia about it.

Company is guarding Long Bridge. Rumor going around “that we were going near the Rebels again but I have got so I don’t believe nothing what they say any more. I think we will guard Long Bridge some time yet to come they say the army will not go into winter Quarters this winter on the account of so many nine months men. I hope they will get through by spring because the Democrats rule again”.

Has spent all but three of the ten dollars he brought, loaning money to Geo Wheeler for tobacco, postage stamps, paper and envelopes, and chipping in on food that he didn’t eat. Wheeler got a letter saying she was up to his house to see his mother and Peter heard she was down to Jones to supper. Says how he misses her and urges all the girls to write, “Dear Dear Clara let them coats go and write to me oh how I do miss your company and society you know last sumer [sic] when you was gone how glad I was when you came home. But I am ten times more so than I was.”