111th Pennsylvania Infantry & 22rd VRC

Item LTR-5598

Description

Original Civil War soldier's letter. 4 pages written in period ink.

Headquarters Provost Marshal’s Office
6th District
Indianapolis, Indiana

February 26th 1865

My Dear Friend Erastus,

It is with pleasure I now seat myself for the purpose of addressing these few lines to you. Hoping they may find you all in the enjoyment of good health, as the departure of those few lines leaves me in at the present time. Thank God for his kind mercies to us all. My dear friend, I have written to you about 2 month or more ago and as yet I have received no answer. I have been expecting to hear from you from day to day. But now that I have abandoned the idea, I thought I would pen a few lines to you. So the day being as it is, the first opportunity I have had for some time. First the draft has been going on here which has kept us very busy.

We only got through with the draft yesterday. The serving of the notices remains yet to be done but I will have nothing to do with it as the provost marshal has chosen me for his special orderly. I expect I will have easy times of it until the time comes for them men to report.

My dear friend Erastus. I want to let you know that I received a letter from the Chaplain from Chester that has my money. He said if I wished my money that he would send me a draft on the bank in New York but we were tossed around from one place to another. So that I though it best to let it remain in his hands a while longer. He told me that he was drawing the interest on it as usual and that if I wished him to hold on to it that all would be well. So I think I will let him keep it a while longer.

My dear friend Erastus. The weather here is very pleasant, nice and warm. It looks very much like as if the bad weather was all over and I think things here looks pleasing to a soldier. Our quarters is good and our virtuals also.

My dear friend Erastus, you will please excuse this short and poorly written letter. I ain’t got much news to communicate to you at the present time. Accept best respects. Also give my best respects to Mrs. Barnes, to Rose and Timothy, to Lettie and Katy, also to my old comrade Darius Aber. Give my best respects to Asa Barnes and family. Also to Mr. Osgood and family. Also to Wright Taylor and family, to Mrs. Pat Taylor and Acey. If James Donaldson is home yet give him my best respects and when you write again, let me know how he is getting along. I would like to know also in your next letter who is living with you. And if you have got your new mill in working order yet. Also let me know what kind of a winter you have had. Tell Timothy Barnes that what I promised him when I was at home, I will send him the first opportunity I have. It is in my possession at the present time and I will be as good as my word. By once more sending you my best respect. I will conclude. Accept my best wishes for your future and temporal welfare and believe me to be your true friend and well wishes.

James A. Stapleton

Please write soon. Direct as follows:

James A. Stapleton
B Company
22nd Regiment Veteran Reserve Corps
Indianapolis, Indiana

Farewell for the present. Please write as soon as possible as I am anxious to hear from you.