Letter to the Front from Pa,   21st July/63

"more musquetoes here ... then you could put into your Haversack..."


This letter came from the Preston Wells collection
by way of Valerie Radee
Eckford, Tuesday, 21st July/63

My Son,
    Accept my thanks for the papers,   I judge from the reading of them that your people of Louisville must be preparing for war,   but I learn now that old morgan has gone further East,   the report last night was that the Federal forces were after him to the tune of forty thousand men,   it seems as though they ought to bag him this time,   if ever you mentioned in your last that the wounded of the 25th were just coming in,   were there any that we know,   how many were killed, and how many wounded,   did you go to Balitimore or not,   That company record has not been hared from yet that I have not seen any account yet of the 25th being in any battle,   where were they and how did they behave themselves,   how many rebels did they kill and how many prisoners did they take

I am afeard that you will get into mischief in drawing your rations,   how does that sick Kelly get along,   you must be more careful of your self as you will be sick again,   please let us know how all the boys are

I belive the the most of the friends are as well as when you left here,   Grandmother Clark is rather feeble. Christiann Harren is no better,   Mr Isaac Wells has lost a little girl I think it is the youngest one,   it is to be burried tomarrow,

My health is quite poor I now have a verry lame back and sidem it is so bad that I can hardly get about,   the wheat is most all cut around here but it is all standing in the shook yet,   yesterday we had a verry hard rain but it has cleared off pleasant again,   the ground was awful dry,   we had a frost last week that done considerable damage to the corn

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I came Home last evening and you mother said she was going to write you soon,   I furnished her with 4 new pens [fashoned from quill I assume] so you may expect a letter from there soon,   that young Brother1 is getting along finly,   he is most large enough to should a musket,   if you get verry homsick I don't know but we will let him come a substitute and let him take your place,   you spoke of having green apples and other fruit,   we have not got any apples yet that is fit for the pigs to eat land dry weather has used up a great many of the peaches, some trees they have all fell of[f], here is no fruit here only the garden rhashberries,   I have not seen but a few quarts of new potatoes yet and just one cucumber about 3 inches long,   it has been so dry here the vegetables could not grow

afternoon
      I shall try and finish this letter for I am going to the office tonight

There is more musquetoes here around me while I am writing then you could put into your Haversack, Knapsack, Cartridgebox, Canteen and all,   I wish you had all there is in a mile or so around here and could set them all onto old Morgans gurrillas at once,   it seems to me that would make them hunt there holes in a hurry,

I think you do not get all of my letters but we will try and send enough so that if you get half of them     you will have plenty,     How is Charley and his gal getting along,   I wish they would write to me

- end of letter -

notes

  1. Paul Henry; b. Mar 17, 1859; d. Oct 1,1861. (3yr 6mo 12d). return
  2. letter of 6/17/63: Charley and wife boarding at the tavern, $1/day return

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edited by Peter J Wait,