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Harrisons Landing July 12 1862
Dear Mother
I received your letter dated the 6th four days after it was mailed. I think
we are situated so now that we can have the mail more regular than we have
done for some time past. I hope you will continue to write as often as you
have done heretofore for the way I am feeling now it does me a great deal
of good to hear from home. I have not been very well for the last two weeks
and it has caused me to think of home and friends a great deal more than I
should if I was perfectly well I am afraid that I have been a little bit
homesick but just as soon as I get all sound I shall soon get over that.
The whole of our regiment is reported unfit for duty and I do not wonder at
it for there has not been a skirmish nor fight on the peninsular but what
some of our regiment has been in it We have lost all of our best officers
We have no one to lead us now that the Lieut. Col. is gone Col. Berdan does
not amount to shucks and the men all call him a coward, but I suppose you
will not be much interested in such stuff as that so I will not say any
more about it. It is reported that we are to be sent back north to recruit
and fill up the ranks but I do not think it is so. I wish it might be so
for we are all worn out and starved out. We have enough to eat such as it
is but we have had the same kind of fodder to long. I think if we could go
into camp and live as we did last winter for a month we should come out all
right and ready for action again. I have got so that I can not bear to hear
the report of a gun it makes me so nervous that I do not know what to do
half the time. I shall be thankful if I ever get out of this. The President
was here the other day and reviewed the troops. I guess he must thought the
regiment looked rather small. The 14th does not turn out over one hundred
and fifty men for duty. We get the New York papers every day but there is
not much news in them. There are fresh troops landing here every day. I
think if they had been sent six weeks ago we shold have had Richmond by
this time I hope the new three hundred thousand men can be raised without
drafting but do not think they can if they do have to draft I hope they
will take such fellows as Dave Amsden for the first ones. I suppose Foote
will go in on his nurve again for raising another regiment. I think if he
does go in and expects to meet with any success he had better go to some
part of the country where he is not so well known as he is there at home. I
hope you will try and send me some stamps before a great while for I have
been out some time.
Harrington was lucky enough to get on board the boat one day this week and
I hope he will get home and stay there he has not been good for anything
since we landed at Fortress Monroe last spring. I wish you would send me
some old papers or magazines or something to read for I must have something
to pass away the time with. We have not been mustered for pay yet do not
think we shall be paid much before August. The weather has been very hot
here for the last week. The thermometer has been as high as 100. I think
that is getting pretty warm. Write soon and give me all the news.
You aff Son
CJH
Let Gust have some money to buy some tobacco for me and have him attend to
it right away.
Historical Notes
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