41st Pennsylvania Infantry - Killed at Fredericksburg

Item LTR-169

Description

4 page ALS written by David R. Torbet of the 41st Pennsylvania Infantry. He was killed at Fredericksburg, VA December 13, 1862:

February the 23, 1862
Camp Pierpoint

Dear sister.
I take my pen to inform you that I am well at present and hoping these few lines may find you in the same state of health and to inform you that I wrote a letter to you about a week ago and I got no answer yet. So I don’t know whether you got it or not. I would like to know. But please write soon to me and let me know about home once more and tell me how they are getting along for I guess there is a pretty hard winter up there in Pennsylvania. We have a great deal of wet weather down here. It rained most every day in the week and on Sunday too for it is raining tonight, that is I mean last night, and it is very cloudy today.
And we are still in the same camp and I don’t know how long we will stay here for the roads are very bad down here for it has been wet for so long. But I hope that we will get home before long. For I think that the war will be over before long. I hope so any how. I think that we are getting them whipped pretty bad. And I don’t see how they can stand much longer to fight. I think they had better give it up for a bad job. I should think so any how.
Sister, I wish you would tell me in your next letter where to direct my letter that I send to sister Mary. You had told me in one letter but I lost the letter and I have forgotten where to direct to so please to tell me for I’d like to write her soon. I did get one letter from her and I haven’t answered it yet because I did not know where to direct to.
Dear sister, I hope that we may see one another again before long. I would like to see Father and Mother again and I expect to get home before long if I live. We all have plenty to eat and wear. But not quite as good as you have at home. But I hope to have some good living too again before long if I live. I suppose you have good times up there this winter. I guess you go to singing school and meetings too. And have plenty of beaus to gallant you home. But that we haven’t got down here. We have no singing schools nor no girls either to squeeze. They are very scarce down here, sister. I understand that the young folks area getting married very fast up there this winter. That is all right for them. I am glad to hear it.
Now sister, I must bring my letter to a close for this time. Write soon to me your dear and affectionate brother.
David R Torbet

Love to you. I send my love and best respect to you and to Mr. Wilson and all inquiring friends around there. When this you so remember me your dear brother.
Direct as before.
Write soon to me, sister Jane.
Good bye dear sister, good bye to you.