Falmouth March 6th 1863

	Dear Mother
I take my pen in hand
to inform you of my health
I am well at present and
hope you are well at present
and hoping  you are the same
I received yours of the the 
first of the month or the
21st and was glad to 
hear from you but I am
sorry to hear from you that
it is so hard time with
you but if I get my extra
pay soon I will send 
you 40 dollars forty dollars
so you will have some
money to help yourself with
I am sorry that I have

Warm here yet today our regt
has gone out  on purpose for a 
fight yet I do not they will 
find any to fight for they are all nearly
[illegible] out O this pen is so poor 
and the ink is so thick that
I can hardly write yet if you
only will write as good to me
I will be satisfied with it and
if you cant read this lay it
by until I come home
I guess it will not be long
at any rate it is so though
by us if you was here I guess
you would want to get
home againe we live on hard
bread and bacon it is
hard fare for me and all of 
the rest mother if you know
of any news do write to me
for it is so dull for me
to stay here in the army

but I hope you will enjoy
good health so that I can
see you oncemore on earth
but our days ar passing away
fast as the sands of the
ocrean drift to and fro
withe the ibbing tide
but my hopes are [strond?]
that we shall [soon?] see 
each other soon after
the time is passed for
me to come home
Mother you said that
you wanted me to write
if I did not write but a
few words to you so you
must excuse me for this
time I remain your own
son  afectanate son

	A H Marsh