DIY History | Transcribe | Civil War Diaries and Letters | Andrew F. Davis papers, 1862

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11_1862-04-24-Page 03

$50.00 and $60,00 for Servent and rations the same as 2nd Lieut.  You say Thomas thinks I might answer his letter, just say to him for me that I wish some folks who are snugly esconsced at home with evry convenience for writing and who can call their time their and who appear to think hard if evry letter they write to the Army is not immediately answered.  I say I wish they could change their position with the soldier a little while where he would be luckey enough to get a piece of a board and squat himself down by a tree and lay the board across his knees for a writing desk and commence writing a letter and perhapse after just getting started the shrill blast of the trumpet or the imperative commands of his officer will break in on his reveries of home and friends and cut his letter short by an order for to prepare for drill or guard or perhapse to march, without delay. Then perhapse they could better understand why it is that some of their letters are some times so slow in being answered.  But just tell him to be patient and I will write immediately after the next big Battle that I live to go through but meanwhile for him not to wait for the battle but improve his first spare moments and drop me a few lines as they are always welcome visitors  
Speaking of Battles I do not know perhapse as much as you do concerning our next movements but one thing I think I know and that is that our officers think we are close to a considerable force of the enemy by the way that we are kept on the sharp lookout. and I think it would be verry hard for Bearegard to have his bullets whistleing through our tents while we ware at breakfast as his first salutation of a morning visit. for I think if he was to come we would be ready to meet him at the gate at lest if not further out.  You perhapse have heard something concerning the numbers that we had here at the battle.  I will therefore say that it has not been diminished any but on the contrary

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$50.00 and $60,00 for Servent and rations the same as 2nd Lieut. You say Thomas thinks I might answer his letter, just say to him for me that I wish some folks who are snugly esconsced at home with evry convenience for writing and who can call their time their and who appear to think hard if evry letter they write to the Army is not immediately answered. I say I wish they could change their position with the soldier a little while where he would be luckey enough to get a piece of a board and squat himself down by a tree and lay the board across his knees for a writing desk and commence writing a letter and perhapse after just getting started the shrill blast of the trumpet or the imperative commands of his officer will break in on his reveries of home and friends and cut his letter short by an order for to prepare for drill or guard or perhapse to march, without delay. Then perhapse they could better understand why it is that some of their letters are some times so slow in being answered. But just tell him to be patient and I will write immediately after the next big Battle that I live to go through but meanwhile for him not to wait for the battle but improve his first spare moments and drop me a few lines as they are always welcome visitors Speaking of Battles I do not know perhapse as much as you do concerning our next movements but one thing I think I know and that is that our officers think we are close to a considerable force of the enemy by the way that we are kept on the sharp lookout. and I think it would be verry hard for Bearegard to have his bullets whistleing through our tents while we ware at breakfast as his first salutation of a morning visit. for I think if he was to come we would be ready to meet him at the gate at lest if not further out. You perhapse have heard something concerning the numbers that we had here at the battle. I will therefore say that it has not been diminished any but on the contrary