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Seven Miles from Richmond June 7th 1862
Dear Mother
I received your kind letter last night you can not immagine how much good
it does a soldier to get a letter from home it is about the only thing that
he has to comfort and cheer him and it seems almost as good as meeting an
old friend when he gets a letter from home.
I presume you have heard about all the battles that have been fought here
within the past week and have got all of the particulars The two last
battles were fought within two miles of where I was on picket but we have
not heard any of the particulars yet only by way of camp rumors which you
can not tell anything about at all. They are a great deal worse than some
of the story tellers that you have in N. Berlin. I think that Harrington
will be at home before a great while after more recruits the Captain said
yesterday that he should send him back for that purpose I think that is the
best thing that he can do for Harrington can not stand an active campaign
like this I think it will ruin a great many more men with stronger
constitutions than he has got it is hard finding ten men in a company that
are perfectly well, but the most of them keep up and go on with their
duties the same as usual. There is something in the climate or food that
does not agree with the men for everyboddy has the dysentery the most of
the time. We are all in hopes however that we shall not have to stay here a
great deal longer on this kind of grub I think we can stand it as long as
the rebs can though. I saw about six hundred go along the road the other
day and they all looked worse than Zeke Chapins cattle do in the spring and
you must know that they looked partly hard. I was in a poor white mans
house the other day and all they had to eat was just indian meal. They
could not get meat of any kind The man told me he had not had any coffee or
tea in six months. I happened to have plenty in my haversack and I gave
them enough to last a day or two They seemed to be very grateful for it and
said the Yankees were not so bad as they had been told they were. All the
clothing the children had on were just a ragged shirt they had not worn
anything else since last fall. I thought I had seen poor folks up North,
but this beats anything I ever saw before. I sent my money by express and
hope it will get through all right. Should have sent it by mail but the
report is that the mail is kept over at Head Quarters a week or two before
it is sent so I thought I would rather risk it by express than have it lay
here. You can use it for yourself or Summers if you choose to do so if not
you will please buy it on side for seed for I am in hopes of getting back
before many months to use it.
I wish you would tell Libbie and the rest of them that I would write to
them if I could but I can not get the time so I shall have to put it off
until I can get more time. Our regiment is still in Porters division but
the division is commanded by Genl Morell. Col McQuade has charge of Morells
brigade and Porter commands a corps five of the companies have been taken
from the regiment and attached to other divisions and I hope by that our
duties will not be quite as hard as they have been heretofore. Probably
before you get this the fate of Richmond will be decided I hope so any way
for I am tired of waiting for the battle to come. Please remember me to all
the people.
Your Aff Son
CH Hardaway
Write as often as you can.
Historical Notes
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