University of Virginia Library

1863-10-04

I seat my self, this beautiful
sabath morning for purpose of responding to your kind
favors of the 23 & 28 of Sept. which I received several
days ago, and would have answered them amidiately
though I expected to have gon home soon, and thought
that I would answer them in purson as I am
such a sorry hand to write ,
Though it was my s mis fortune to be in formed
that I could not go yet a while, I took it for
my share and contented my self as usial,
I think a soldier aught to be satisfied to do as
well as I hav bindoing for the last few days.
have a plenty of some thing good to eat and a
good apitite to eat it. that is good enough for
any body in war times. though you know it
is not natrial for human being to be satisfied
the better thay get. the better thay want. and
the more thay get. the more thaywant,
And thare is non of them that knows how
to appritiate a blesing until after thay are
deprived of it, I know this by experience. for
when I was permited to injoy the comforts of good
home and kind frends on everry side of me.

I was not satisfied. I wanted to change my base of
operrations, thought that I could do better than what
I was doing ther, O if I should ever be permited
to injoy such comforts again. I would know how
to appritiate them. (God grant that I may)
Again I say it is not nartrial for us to be
satisfied, though I injoy more comforts than
I am worthey of, yet I am not satisfied.
I thank God that I have bin spared and permited
to injoy such great blesings while so meney far better
than I am have bin cut down by both desease
& the enimy. I have bin permited to pass unhurt and
injoy exerlant health, after all this I am not satisfied.
I think that I would be rather better satisfied
if the speculaters were all presed in to service so
the poor women and children could get some thing
to eat with out paying five times the worth of it,
if thare is any thing to sell, a speculater is after
it, faster than a hawk after a chicken, it would
not do for me to have my way with them,
thare is no news in this so I will hush it, unless I
could say some thing better about them.
I dont beleave thare is any news in camp of importance
everry thing seems to be verry quiet a bout here
Gen Corses [1] Brigade has came hae here. thay were
sent to Tennessee when we first stoped here. thay
say thay had a verry nice time while thay were
gone they did not loose but verry few of thair men,
our Chaplin has bin verry un well for several days
though he is proveing now hope he will be well
again in few days. I dont think I have ever told you
his name it is R.W. Cridlin [2]he is a verry nice
young Baptist minister, I got a letter from sister
Benson[3] this morningthay were all well, accept
Johe was at home complaining though I dont sepose
that he was verry bad off. she said he was going
to see his sweet heart. John is gone to the cook
fire to make a slise potato pies. I wish you were
here to take dinner with, I see a good meney Ladies
pasing about camp, the married men are sending
for thair wifes and boarding them with the citerzens
around camp, I wrote to sister Mary the other day
and for got to tel her that we did not nead
any clothing. we drew a new suit the other day
anddont nea want any clothing from home atal
every thing you all sent in the box came
safte I am under many obligations to you all
for send ing us such a finebox it was a great
treat to us, I will closes for the presant youmust
write me soon and gave me all the news