47th New York Infantry

Item LTR-10131

Description

Original Civil War soldier's letter. 3 pages, written in period ink.


Hampton Hospital
August 13, 1864

Your letter of the 8th of July I have received at this place. I have got along here very well but I have had a very sore hip. I was not confined to the bed but I was obliged to sit still for three weeks and then I commenced hobbling around, though it is still not quite well. I had had a very narrow escape. Had I stood two inches further to the left, I would have had my hip torn to pieces but a miss is as good as a mile, so they say.

There is not much news here. You can get all the news through the newspaper better than I can write. As I am a bad hand with a pen and ink. I think I shall be able to go back to the regiment next week.

What I meant about my money was in case of my death. You can get what is coming to me, which will be six months on the first of September and a state bounty which I have not had paid to me yet. What money I have at present I have to use as I go along. If it was not for that, I would come short sometimes for grub. The government gives good rations and plenty of them but there is so many damn thieves, we don’t get what belongs to us.

Now George, write me one more letter as soon as you get this. Then I shall get it before I start for Petersburg. The letter you sent before the last, I think I shall get when I get back to the regiment.

I sent you one letter from Yorktown last April and I never got no answer. Did you get it? I cannot give you no information about Charles Booth.

Direct your letter: Charles Davis, Hampton Hospital, Virginia, Ward 14.