90th Pennsylvania Infantry

Item LTR-9216

Description

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


Headquarters 2nd Brigade
Culpepper, Va
Monday Eve
April 25, 1864

Dear Cousin Carrie,

I take this opportunity to write a few lines to you to let you know that I received your most welcome letter in this evening’s mail. And I was really glad to hear from you and I see in your letter that you have a sore finger. And I am weary for that and I hope it will get well again in a short time. And I hope you will excuse my poor picture I send you in this letter. And I can get no better picture in the army as this is but if I come home, I will give you a better picture in citizens clothes. The old blue dress is plain to take a good picture.

And I let you know that I have good times now, nothing to do at present and we lay still yet. And I hope I will have good times this summer and I don’t care much for next summers campaign. I will keep that at home that if I live so long in this world and I hope I live. This is my last summer I have to spend in this old Virginia. And I am very glad for that and I hope I will have good luck to get out of this cruel war. I went out in our brigade last Sunday and from there I went to the 17th Pennsylvania Cavalry and I seen Lieutenant Martin Reinhold and his brother, he’s a lieutenant in the regiment and I seen Lieutenant Joseph Shultzand some other fellows I know in that regiment. And I went in the HQ the other day to see Gabriel Livengood but I didn’t see him, he is down in the Maryland Brigade.

And I bet you that Levi Benathum is in Philadelphia since last winter. And I hopoe he can stay there this summer. And I suppose he will stay. That is if he can. He is my orderly sergeant of Company D and I like him very well. And all the boys like him in the company. And let you know that the 7th P.R.C. are in the 5th Corps. They lay about seven or eight miles from our Corps. And this is all for this time, so I will close my letter and don’t forget to write soon as possible. So good night cousin.

My best respects to you and my love, Cousin Carrie.

Address
William S. Billman
Headquarters, 2nd Brigade
2nd Division
1st Army Corps
Via Washington, DC