January (torn out)1862
Camp Wood, Heart County, Ky
Dear Wife, I take my pen in hand today to let you no that I am well at presant
and hope these few lines will find you and the children all well. I recev your
letter last night which gave me greate satisfaction to her from you and that you
was all well, but when the mail came I was vary much (unreadable) heart for I
thot tha was no letter for me but when George open his letter I found yourn and
I soon red it and the was a few tears fell from my eys I cod not help it for I
was so glad to her that you was doing as well as you was and I hope that you
will still do well tell I come home and I hope that wonte be long. Our union
men have gain another greate victory on Cumberland River. Tha kild a greate
meny of the sesesh than that is the place that Cit is and Ian Hardin, all the
Baker boys. The regiment tha was in had to dismount from thare horses and fight
on foot but I dont no whether enny of them was kild or not. I look for a letter
from them tomorrow. Sum of them I hav no dout but is kild or wounded and if we
git Green River and Bowling Green whip out we will git to come home. I hope we
will do it before long for as I tolde you before, I want to come home and see
you all the worste kind. I am mity tired of it. I no tha is five (torn) out
about eight miles away to see if tha can find enny of the rebbles ennywhar near.
Tha have bin comen near our pickets for the last three or four days. Tha come
within a mile of our pickets last Tuesday night and burnt down a big depo on the
railrode our regiment was on picket that night. I saw the fire but the curnal
wount let us go to the fire. The boys wanted to go and see them but the captain
woodn let them. We had inspection this morning. Our camp look better than enny
of the rest. We had on our dress coats. I hav got a vary nise dress coat and
look as well as you ever seede me. I shave ever week and put on a clean shirt.
I wash a shirt ever weeke. I have jest bin to the doctors and got vaxinated in
my left arm George and Amos and Tom Westerman and Thompson Ennis and Tom Smith
you sed you wanted me to send you my likeness. I will send it to you when I git
pade of and tha captain told me that we wood git pade nex Tuesday or Wednesday
and when I git hit I will send you twenty dollars. I will git twenty six
dollars but will have to keepe some for I will neade sum. I neede a good deal
but you neade it worse than I do so if I git it you may look for it nex
Saterday. So you must do the best you can if I live to git home I will have
rite smart of money unuf to give us a start to do well. I want yo to right me
as soon as you git this letter (torn; in my?) oan envelup for ennis donte git
half of his. If you hante got no money to git postedge stamps (I can) sende
you one that will do you till you git some. Hit is a harde matter to git stamps
her but I will send you one that will do you to send me a letter as soon as yo
git this one. I want to her from you ever weeke hit dos me a heepe a good to
her from you. I will git my likeness taken and send it when I send the money to
you and I want you to send me yours, but I hope it wonte be long before I can
come home. I think tha hant no danger but I will git home. I feel like I will
git home to you and the children again. I want to see you all mity bad. I
recon little Johney is a poty little feler. I want to see him and all the rest
of you. I rote daddy a letter last weeke. I look for a letter in a day or two
and I rote one to Irvin and expect to git one poty soon and then I will her all
about the battle that Cit was in and I will right to you all about it. give my
best respects to Lige Johnson and Liz so I must bring my letter to a close.
When you right, direct your letter to the first Regiment of Ohio Volunteers,
Company C, Captain Thruston, Camp Wood, Heart County, Ky.
