Letter to Sarah Garibaldi (Poor)

Scope and content:

Letter regards general news and life in camp.

Language:
English
Other descriptive data:

Camp Stonewall Brigade
April 5, 1864

Dear Wife
Yours of the 21 of March last came to hands yesterday from which I was glad to hear that you was well. This leaves me well at present and I hope that when these few lines will come to hands they may find you enjoying the same blessings.

I have no news of importance to tell you at this time, only that the weather is very bad and disagreable here now. Our brigade just came off pickett yesterday evening. Everything is peaceable here now, nothing going on. The officers have been reduced down to same rations as the privates and it is issued to them just the same as it is issued to us. Neither are they allowed to buy any from the Commissary department. The company officers are drawing with their companies and to the field officers it is weighed out to them.

I am sorry to tell you that there is a man in our company just now dying his name is George Harmon. He lives down on Jackson's River. He took sick last Sunday and died (I expect is dead now) this morning. He was a very strong man.

I wrote to Staunton to the priest for another prayer book, and just got it yesterday with two tracts and three cards. Enclosed you will find a tract and a card in this here letter for you. I sort of think that Thomas W. Rose done something with the things that you sended me by him and he just tells me as an excuse that somebody stole them from him. I have a notion to charge him for it but I have a fear that I shall have to take it out in charging.

I received a letter, sometime ago, from Mary F. Winebrenner enquiring into the whereabouts of her husband saying that she heard that I knew him, and knew where he was and that I had tole you about knowing him. I am uterly stranger of either Mrs. or Mr. Winebrenner, neither do I recollect of having ever heard such name, but I wrote to his captain about him and haven't yet received any answer about him. He belongs to George's old company.

Mr. [Salander] spoke to me about that pistol as I was coming to the army and told him you will take six bushels of corn for it, he said, then, that he hadn't the corn to spare at that time, and I told him that you would wait till the next crop would come, he then said that he would try to raise some. You do as you please with it I think the pistol is worth six bushels of corn and if you can help it don't let him have it for any less.

I will quit writing, by giving you, Mother, Sister, Brother George and family my best respects and remain your affectionate husband untill death
John Garibaldi

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