77th Illinois Infantry

Item LTR-7719

Description

Original Civil War soldier's letter. 6 pages, written in period ink.


Memphis Tenn.
December 12, 1862

My Dear and loving Wife,

After waiting all week for a letter, I thought I would write one more letter. We have not got any mail since last Monday and but a small one then. I am well and heartily yet hope you and the babies are the same. The weather has been fine since I last wrote. It has been like our finest October weather but is trying to rain today.

I was out on picket last Monday and Monday night. Had a good time. Did not have to stand guard only an hour out of the 24. There is from 25 to 30 stand on that post. It is past where all passes are examined. Anyone can go in to the lines but no one can pass out unless they have a pass. I tell you, some news. I have got so I like sweet potatoes first rate. I wish you could have some. The day that I was on picket, we got all the sweet potatoes we could eat. We roast them in the fire and all the whiskey we wanted from the people passing in and out. I expect you will give me a dressing about drinking, but I have drinked but very little since I have been in the army. So don’t fret about that.

Company H is about played out. There is only from 20 to 25 go out to drill and there is only about 40 or 45 able for duty. The three Davisons: Ezra, Lee, Dan and E. R. Nye don’t amount to a row of pins and several more. They are around all the time and we call them the Cain Company.

The measles and mumps are in the regiment and many are down with the two diseases. I was vaccinated yesterday. I have begun to get tired of laying here. Wish we would move. But don’t expect to move from here for a good while. The boys in our mess act like sam hill when it is not one thing, it is another. Parmeter is quite sick, though not considered dangerous. You must not mention t hat I say anything about it.

How does Nat get along? Please send me a skein of black thread. I guess I will not write anymore now for maybe I shall get a letter this afternoon and may want to write some more.

Well it is most night and we have not got any mail yet, so I will write a few lines more. It has rained some so we have not had to drill any this afternoon and so have been loafing around all the afternoon. I wish I had some ghost stories to read to pass away the time. Our mess (no. 5) have got our cook house done with a good brick fireplace at one end so we have a parlor and kitchen. We are going to have beans and fresh beef and bread and coffee for supper. We used to pass away our loafing hours playing euchre but the decks have all got worn out and we are all too poor to buy any more so it is hard work to loaf away time.

Hiram Livingston is having the measles but is getting better now. Does anyone stay with you? Now how do you get your flour now? Do you get it from Dobsen? Do they send me the Democrat any more? I expect to go out on picket tomorrow so I will get some more sweet potatoes. How does Parmeter’s folks get along?

Well, this is the last piece of paper that I have got but shall trust to Providence for more. As I suppose it might be interesting to you to have the names of our mess, I give them to you: first is the three Sampson boys, Ed, Hammy, and Andy; George and Bird James; Valentine and Tom Peabody; William German, William Bocock’ Benjamin Wilson, Rube Davison, Charles Davis, Dan Hollenback, James P. Brooks, Isaac Grove, William Irwin, and your humble servant. Well I have just been to supper and have eat so much that I can hardly go. Too bad, ain’t it.

They say that we will not get any mail till Monday. Why I don’t know. So I am going to finish this up and send it along. I don’t know what to write and as I have wrote you a good long letter, I guess I will close pretty soon. Give my regards to Uncle Jim’s folks and Mr. Fowler’s family. Hug the babies for me and consider yourself receiving a tremendous good squeezing from me. Write again soon and write all the news. This makes 3 letters that I have wrote you since I got one from you and after mailing this I shall have two stamps left. Receive any quantity of my poor love and remember that you are not forgotten.

Yours Truly,
F. W. Holmes

Now when Nat comes, don’t forget to send those things.

December 15: This leaves me well this morning. Nothing new since yesterday.