23rd Connecticut Infantry

Item LTR-82

Description

3 pages in period ink.

My Dear Mary

It is night and I am in my bunk perhaps you would like to know what sort of an institution that is I will try too describe it. We are quartered in what was used for a store. It is a room about 50 feet long by 25 wide. We have half of it Company F the other. There is a room overhead of the same size occupied by Comp K you can calculate we have noise in abundance. Our room is about 10 feet high bunks threw on both side three tear one above the other ours is about in the center in the top tear. It is a little square box about 5 ft. long by 4 wide just about what I should build for my hens a nest. We have to climb up and down about 50 times per day. I used to think it was hard to live upstairs but this is worse than any living upstairs I ever aw but still I like it better than tents. I weighted myself a few days ago and weighted 165 lbs about the same I used to when I was well at home and not at work too hard. You said you dreamt of seeing me if a dream I had the other night is true you have changed some since I left you. I dreamt I was at home and found the family all right. The next thing was where is Mary. Our fold said she had a gone home and told them she was not going to be seen around us as she was. Finely I found you down to our own house and that you had changed. You had grown fleshy. It was night. I tried to find a bed but every bed was occupied and I had to come away without a nights rest with you. I hope the day will come when we shall be down to our house and take all the comfort we anticipate in each others society. I am tired of living in this manner and your letters are so desponding and speak of a heart sick of living alone and waiting for the loved one to come and uncertain whether he will come at all but cheer up look on the sunny side and hope for the best and left what will come never no nearer imagine for one moment but you have an advocate with our Father and he do it all things well. We have just been called out to inspect our cartridges and be sure we have a full number as we are liable to be attacked at any time but we do not fear them much we have gun boats and as land battery here ready for them. There is such confusion about distributing cartridges. I cannot think what I want to write. You don’t write any thing about the winter, whether you have much snow. I hope it will be so you can go to meeting more than you have. I received the Danbury paper last night but it didn’t have much news in it to me as I had read one of the same date some time ago. I have had one with Brother Gilberts New Years sermons in. I was very much affected reading it. I think it is first rate. I would like to be there to hear him preach some of his good sermons. I received a letter from J.B. Packerd last night in answer to one I wrote to him since I left you. Csear had one from Aunt Hannah a short time since. It was a first rate letter. We have been ordered to pack our movables and be ready to move at any time and I shall have to close and go about it. No peas to the soldier. Write often. I shall send you some orange leaves that I picked from the trees this afternoon growing in the open air. I said it was cold there was ice about ½ in thick. The first I have see. Good night all Miss Hattie. May sweet slumber visit you r eyelids w with all the bed and plenty of cloths. To Mary Esther Benedict. From your ever loving Husband Edwin Benedict.