111th Pennsylvania Infantry & 22nd Veteran Reserve Corps

Item LTR-8576

Description

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


Indianapolis, Indiana
Nov 5th 1864

Dear Friend,

I now avail myself of this favorable opportunity of writing these few lines to you, hoping they may find you in the enjoyment of good health as the departure of these few lines carries me at the present time.

Dear Friend I acknowledge the receipt of your kind and ever welcomed letter of Oct 30th which I received the day before yesterday and which gave me great pleasure to hear from you - also to hear that you were all in the enjoyment of good health. My best wishes to you in that you may continue so for may long & happy years to come. You say that James Donaldson is home on 30 day’s furlough. I am glad to hear it but sorry to hear that he is in bad health.

Dear Friend. I am very glad to hear of you getting along so well with the Mills. I am very much obliged to you for your kind offers to me but I am happy to say that at the present time, I don’t want for anything. I have plenty to eat & drink and I am as happy as the day is long.

Dear Friend. As you spoke about the election, there is great excitement here over it. A great many is of the opinion that Old Abe will rally this state and there is a great many more the other way. For my part, I can’t say how it will go but I will tell you what I do know. It is this - that if I can get a chance to vote I shall cast it to Old Abe. But I am rather doubtful whether I have got a vote. At least I could not vote this time last year on account of not having my naturalization papers to verify that I was a citizen.

Dear Friend. We are as yet doing duty at the Provost Marshall’s Office. I like the place very well. The duty is light and we have the best of rations. How long we will stay here I am sure I don’t know. There is some talk of us staying here all winter to guard five thousand rebel prisoners which they have up at Camp Morton, a little distance from where we are encamped. I wish you were here until you could take a look at them bare footed, bare headed and bare backed. If you would see them once you would not wonder at our boys calling them grey backs for in my belief they are grey by name and grey by nature.

Dear Friend. I ain’t got much news to communicate to you at present so I will close by sending my respects to you, not forgetting Mrs. Barnes & family, likewise to all inquiring friends. So no more at present but believe me to be your true friend & well wisher.

James Stapleton

Please write soon. Direct as before: Co B, 22nd Regt, VRC. Indianapolis Indiana