MS 484 mf - Weddell Family Papers: Transcripts (Misc. Correspondence)

July 1, 1864

July 1, 1864

Annapolis Junction, Md.

Friend William:

I rec'd your welcome letter last week and would have answered it sooner if I had time but better late than never. Since Monday, we have been transformed from the soldier to the farmer. Some of the boys wanted to go out and help harvesting so that they might get a little spending money. The Capt. would not allow any to go unless they would go in a squad. He called me up and asked me if I would go and take the job. I said I had no objections so we took the job of cutting and putting up hay to stack- for three dollars per acre which we accomplished in about 3 days. There was 18 in our squad; it was a big time for the boys, the change seemed to do them good, at least it was the means of sharpening their abilities.

Thomas (Shanks, Private Co.F, 144th O.V.I.) rec'd your letter today and will write soon. We had a letter from Lieut. Muir today, he says the Co. are all well with the exception of William Muir. He is on the sick list. There is nothing new transpiring in or around camp worth noticing. Am sorry to hear of what has befallen Co.K of the 21st Reg't but it should warn us of the uncertainty of life and the need for preparing for death for come it will, sooner or later. We had a letter from Camp Parole the other day. They were all well but John Smith, he has got the ague. Some of the boys have been promising to come up and see us but the last time they wrote they said they could not get away. We have good times in that respect for we have never asked permission to go anywhere and been refused.

Oh Billy, I wish you were here to take a ramble around the country and think you would say it beat anywhere you ever saw for fruit in the berry line. There are some trees which I believe have 10 bushels of cherries on them. Black berries are in abundance and huckleberries are just getting ripe. The weather here is very warm and the ground is exceedingly dry. If we can, Thomas and me are going to visit the capital week after next for I will be on duty all next in the afternoon. Could get excused for one day if desired.

Had a letter from yesterday from Robert S. Davidson and John Adams. They are both well. We were glad to hear from them for we had heard that John was wounded and had since died. It must have been a sad sight to witness after those battles for ever since we came in there has scarcely been a day passed when one or more of the trains going north loaded with wounded men. In fact, there has been more or less in all the regular trains. Sad sight to see men mangled in almost every conceivable manner. Hope I may hear from you soon, give all the news. Excuse the shortness of this note, I'll write longer next time. Yours with respect,

David Main
Direct as before to Annapolis Junction

July 11, 1864

Baltimore
July 11, 1864

Dear friend:

I take this opportunity of writing you to let you know how we are getting along. I am well at present, hoping these few lines find you the same. We have had a fight with the Rebels on Saturday and it was a pretty hard fight. We went into the field on Saturday about seven o'clock and fought till five in the afternoon and we was alive back [?]. There was a good many of our boys taken prisoner but I don't know who they are. George Weddell, I don't know anything after we lost all our officers. The Capt. is wounded and the Lieutenants is both missing. Robert Davidson is missing, David Shanks is ok. So far he is doing very well. Hugh Stewart is well so far and I am all sound as ever. When we went into the fight we had about 60 men and that the loss here is about 30 men John Dunipace is all right, he was not in the fight. He was sent back. I have not more time to write at present. When I can I will write home and tell you all the news. I just thought that I would let you know how all the boys is. I trust that you can hardly read this at all but you will have to make the best of it. You see this all at present, until soon.

John Smith