Camp Kenly. Sept. 26, AD 1861
Dear Wife, I recived your of the 21 ult and was glad to here that you was all wel and found is all in the same happy state and still hopping those few lilmens may find you all injoying the same gods blessing. Your letters of late has ben comin verry unregular. Some of them was four days coming. I recived your letter the same day that I sent you my last, thare for I didn’t write sooner. I was glad that you had recived the money that I sent you, but you did not tell me what you intended of douing with it. In your next letter, let me know all about it. I dou not want you to run your self short, for I might need some my self before we are paid agane. I would have cep a little more if I had time to have got it changed before sending it away. Mericle was starting home the evening that we was paid. I thought it safer then sending it in a letter. I do not want you to send any until I write for it. The male has just came in and I recived a letter from A G McGrew in which tells me of him being over to see you and family last Sabeth morning and that you had plenty on the table to eat. I hope it may allways be so. In this he tells me further that the potates and all kinds of vegetables is plenty. You never have told me a wourd about your garden yet. I advise you to attend the raising of your potatos and putting them out of harms way as soon as possible. Wee have recived marching orders to day. For some cass not knowen at present. Wee expect to be called out to knight. Thare is some talk of a little fight over the river to day, but we have not hered any firing yet, tharefor dow not believe the report to be trew. Thare was a sad mishap in the next Company to ours. Thare was a man cleaning his gun and cocked and drew. The trger went of and shot a man of Company D threw the hed. I run to the man that fell. He was still a live; Died in about then mints tho. That fired the gun was arested. I hered him say that he sprang the ramer to se if the gun was loded. I hered him say if she was loded. He did not know it . He is to be corte marsheld for it. When the man fell in to the fire, Jim and Bill was over here yesterday on pas and eat diner with us. Wee was at work on a rollout diretly above our old camp. Capten Olliver met Jim and Bill and gave them passes for wat and so we had all day to gather . Thay apper to think well of thare offacers and soldering in genrel. The Company has went into…regiment thay don’t like the change. Lizy, you must excuse this dirty paper and bad writing, for the … balance of the paper is packed up and the tent is full of men letting standing and laying in all shapes and forms. I will quit for the present. I remane yours.
A Penman
