Camp Elmwood, Memphis, Ten. Dec 9th /62
Dear friends. I endeavor again to pen a few lines. i am well as usual, and still at the same place that I was when I wrote last. the most of the Boys of our mess with my self are setting in the tent round the fire this fine evening most all writing and as contented as can be. we are faring pretty well get some good news once and a while which makes us step round considerable. the general oppinion of the folks round hear is that the war is coming to a close pretty soon. but how it is God only knows..the news that we get some times makes me fell encouraged and again when I think of the way some of our head men perform it makes me feel almost dishartened. this thing of haveing Southern men at the head of our Armies is not the thing that suits me. if they would do with them as they have done with McCleland or something worse it would be going nothing more than right.. one of our men in the regt. went to our General (Burbrage) to get a furlough signed to go home to see his woman that was not expected to live.. and he told him he would not sign a furlough for an Ohio man if all the women in the state were lying and he seems to think about as much of the men under him as he does of the women of the State of Ohio. he is a drunken Kentuckeyen.. if we could have good union men to cary on the war it would soon end. the mornings paper says that they are Bombarding Vicksburg but I guess it is doutful. Good Night.
Wednesday 10th today is a very pleasent day it seems like spring.. wood is very scarce here. there is a few trees inside our guard lines and they give us the privalege of cutting them and we went at them this morning most of them were read Oaks and midlin large ones, it made one think of cutting shingle trees.. I suppose you have pretty cold weather about now but it is very pleasent down here it is pretty cool some nights but we have a fireplace built up in one end of the ten of brick which makes it very comfortable t the most I have to complain of is that we do not draw full rations and it makes me feel rather slimsy to drill and stand guard on an empty stomach and I have to trade some with the Suttler and pay double price for things. Crackers 15 cts per lbs, cheese 25 cts. butter, 35 ct s aples two for five cts candy 3 sticks for five cts. plugs of tobacco for 15 cts and other notions acortingly and not any of much acount.. I have not traded any with him till we came here and but a very little now he gives us a chance to trade two Dols a month and takes it from our wages. he gives us tickets and takes an order signed by the Captain. I got one dolars worth of tickets, my postage stamps are getting rather much gone and I guess I will send my letters without stamps. there was some Boys from our mess on picket the other day and they brought in with them some percimmons which are about as nice as anything I have had lately. there are about the size of a crabaple. I will send some of the seeds in this letter. write and give the news, what kind of weather What you are doing & news in general. I beleave I have no more to write this time. it wont do to write to much at one time for I will not have anything write next time. it is not worth much anyway. Write and Oblige L. Carhart. the son of I & R and brother of A M & O…
(Editor’s note–“son of I & R”– Isaac and Roxanne “brother of A M & O”– Amelia and Orville)
