DIY History | Transcribe | Civil War Diaries and Letters | Marks Family letters, 1861-1865

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1865-04-03 Page 3

We got a large mail last night after dark they was written on the 17" and 18" of March  It was amusing to see the soldiers sitting around the fire reading their letters we dont have any candles and have to use Pine Knots  Evey man was sitting around a little fire reading his letter You could see a wide difference in the countenances of the men as soon as they knew the mail had come evey man crowded around the Orderly to hear his name called for a letter after he got it he walked off toward the fire laughing expecting to hear good news from his native land and perhaps from his Sweet=heart  I was over to the 33rd day before yesterday they was all well and doing well none of the Marian Co boys had been wounded [yet?] Some of them are coming over here today they are about one mile from us on our left  Well Hen we get plenty to eat but you never saw such a time for tobacco in your life Some of the Boys have been offering 25 cts for a chew and could not get it but Lieut sent off and got us four dollars worth yesterday and divided it among us each man got a piece about one inch and a half wide and three long there is no Sutlers allowed with this expedition and the boys are all out of money so they have to do the best they can I understand you are going to keep Seacey I hope you will do well and would like to be with you If I live to get through safe I want to get into some kind of business that I wont have to work any for I will be so lazy that I cant do any thing I will close and let Bill write some I want you to write a little oftener and eat enough good things for me too I got so many letters yesterday that I cant answer all of them soon you must make one do all of you for writing material is scarce and our time is scarce and you must not think hard if I dont answer all of them right away when I get off this campaign I will write all the time  P. H. Mark

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We got a large mail last night after dark they was written on the 17" and 18" of March It was amusing to see the soldiers sitting around the fire reading their letters we dont have any candles and have to use Pine Knots Evey man was sitting around a little fire reading his letter You could see a wide difference in the countenances of the men as soon as they knew the mail had come evey man crowded around the Orderly to hear his name called for a letter after he got it he walked off toward the fire laughing expecting to hear good news from his native land and perhaps from his Sweet=heart I was over to the 33rd day before yesterday they was all well and doing well none of the Marian Co boys had been wounded [yet?] Some of them are coming over here today they are about one mile from us on our left Well Hen we get plenty to eat but you never saw such a time for tobacco in your life Some of the Boys have been offering 25 cts for a chew and could not get it but Lieut sent off and got us four dollars worth yesterday and divided it among us each man got a piece about one inch and a half wide and three long there is no Sutlers allowed with this expedition and the boys are all out of money so they have to do the best they can I understand you are going to keep Seacey I hope you will do well and would like to be with you If I live to get through safe I want to get into some kind of business that I wont have to work any for I will be so lazy that I cant do any thing I will close and let Bill write some I want you to write a little oftener and eat enough good things for me too I got so many letters yesterday that I cant answer all of them soon you must make one do all of you for writing material is scarce and our time is scarce and you must not think hard if I dont answer all of them right away when I get off this campaign I will write all the time P. H. Mark