No. 1
Post Hospital ^ Nash Dec. 2 /64

	Friend Joseph
			I can
think of no better or more agreeable
manner of whileing away the hours
while convelescing here than by
scribbling.. to the friends at Home
I have written you once & have as yet
rec,d nothign from you: I have not
rec,d any mail for 2 weeks past
as I have not been with the Battery
I would much prefer Cousin J 
stepping in your cabin & having
a good chat in person to this style
But you as well as myself to often
realize the desires are not always
accompanied by [crossed out] [the the] fruit
corresponding .. If they were I shold
wish right speedily that I could be 
at home for afew weeks

I am however free [illegible]
& enjoy myself much better than I would
have believed that I could under such
circumstances  The scenes daily
recurring here in the sick room
I when well would have thought quite
enough to make me sick
But I find that we get to endure
almost anything. by continued
association & habit  I see the land
harvested every day in a manner
that would us when at home: not
harshly & brutally: but speedily & in
business, rather than inreverence
& mourning style: & there has beween
9 & noon thousand been carried from
this House since the war began
Wasting disease & short fatal attacks
sweep away more of our boys than iron
[paid?] on flashing steel
There lies a poor fellow now at the
foot of my bed: that is literally chok
ing to death with Eyrisipelus – I
dont know as I spell this word correctly

He tries to dig his palate out – rolls
from the bed on to the floor & needs
me to wach him all the time. & its
all in a soldiers life & who rendered 
be a soldier If I were one of the 
Leading men. on on other side that
have had much to do in bringing
aout the present existing state of
affairs I tell you I should feel
mighty solom holy: when thinking of
the wholesale destruction of Human
Life that occurs from day to day
& the slaughter in the field is get
ting pretty close to us here. we see
the camp fires of the Army out
but a little way from us in the night
I hear to day that old Hood is crossing
o rhas already crossed the river
the Cumberland – a little distance
from here & is most likely to destroy
communication between this or [illegible]
[illegible] I think [illegible] troops will
follow him pretty close for His
comfort if not [illegible]

Well How are you boy & yore family
everybody well to comfortable I hope
I tell you if one possesses a healthy
body & a contented mind there
but precious small [necessity?] of this
being miserable And I believe
there is no one element of mine [crossed out] [that]
more [desirable?] [or?] more conducive
long life or happiness than the
disposition to always put the very
best face upon any or every thing
that [befalls?] or that May [illegible] 
[two words illegible] life It seems to me now
that I will henceforth make this a 
[illegible] arm or study of life
to under all circumstances to
keep an even mind__ & never allow
anything to destroy the [peace?] &
[several words illegible] elevating
[whole line illegible]
Bye the way the [two words illegible] [crossed out] [the] what
Jackson Davis [several words illegible]
staff or I suppose if any man
ever [illegible] [it?] [He?] does in a
very high degree It is strange
[two words illegible] How little of real time
Joy or satisfaction is experienced
in life

And why is such the case? Perhaps
because people seldon if ever think what
they live for most people pass through
life as if they were more machines
[illegible]. a [smple?] revolution [illegible] [repeal?] [illegible]
from / generation to another
The Present condition of the rel-
igious world: brings to mind a com-
parison made by a Miss Emma
[Harelinge?] a young English Girl__
in a speech delivered by her in days
about the first stages of the war
In referring to the [perpetration?] of [slavry?]
to the [pretended?] upholding of it [with the?]
constitution She says is the fact
of their failing to legislate against
reason enough for you to [illegible]
[illegible] the provision for the then 
[illegible] necessities. sufficient for 

for the needs of today with [illegible]
entirely changed? Can their [parch?]–
ments grows or your minds ease grow
- ing ? She say or they [two words illegible]—left—
you a model [several words illegible] a glor—
ious temple to the fraternity of [crossed out word]
truth lover & liberty She comes the
idea that if the constitution does not
provide for present-necessities change
it. & that as conditions do change
let there [exist?] [two words illegible]
[sious] commensurate with the
nature & [illegible] of to days needs

And as the Lady [illegible] for 
the wants of the political world
I [assume] that same is [illegible] of
both our social & religious [illegible]
[We?] are a different people from those
of many centuries agone & our
advanced or changed conditions
demand new institutions or
[thrones?] to satisfy or meet them

[Penciled in]

Phillips Alvah
1864-12-2

[End]

J. S. Bamber
Highland Oakc
Mich