November 23d 1862 Marine Hospital Cincinnati Ohio My Verry Dear Pa and Ma I am not verry well at present. Guy is on the gain. but he gains Slow my provission is all out that you Sent me but the bottle that had my jelly in full of honey. and there is most all of the butter is left all the rest is gone. and was just the right time to have it give out for the Doctors are agoing to send me to my Regiment tomorrow. Now Ma you must not worry any more about me than you can help if I get to my Regiment and cant stand it they will give me a Discharge. the Doctor here [riecieved?] orders to send all of the men that were Convalescent to their Regiments and he has to obey orders as well as the rest of uncle Sams men. I hat to leave Guy and aunt louisa verry bad but I Shall have to. I am not homesick any yet but I Should like to see home verry well but that is impossible just now. all of the folks here say that I can get a Discharge at the regiment quicker than I can here and I guess it is so. If you have not writen to the Doctor you need not for it will be no good now as I am agoing away from the Hospital you must not feel to bad about my having to leave as it is all for the best Pa must write to my Captain [Penciled in on top of Scan 2] 11-23-62 [End] for me but dont write to him before you riecieve another letter from me I I Shall write as soon as ^ you get to my regiment. which will not take me verry long you must write to me once a week and I will do the same by you. you may not get all of my letters but you are at home and hapyer than I can make my self in the army and you will not miss the letters if you dont get them every week as much as I Shall if I dont get mine from you. I have got only one from home since I got the box and that was from you and [pa?] togather. aunt Louisa brought one from alone though. but that was not by mail. Did you get the one that I wrote and sent a little locket to fanny in you must let Fanny write to me when you do to encourage her and it will learn her to write she must take pains when she writes and try to improve. And tell She must be a good girl and help Ma for She has agreat deal to do. now for you must take care of your health for it is poor enough you know at the best. How does your School get along when you write must tell me all about it how did [illegible] come out with his law Suit when [crossed out] [you get] I Draw my pay I will send you some money to buy you a coat with and I Shall have you save the rest for me and put it out on intrest that is all that it dont take to buy you a Coat I believe that I will buy [illegible - paper torn] Sheep as they are so Dear just now. if you are amind you may use the money yourself and return it to me when you can handily and pay me the lawful intrest. it is a verry plesent day but it does not accord with my feelings verry well just at the present being about to leave Guy and aunt Louisa and Start for Dixie I tell you it will be a hard strugle for me to leave her and Guy alone at the Hospital but it is all for the best I presume. I think that Guy will be able to come hom in about a week or 10 days at the out side at least I sincerely hope So you must have grandma write to me as often as she can how I Should like to see her at my home it would look so good and natrual to me. I have a verry nice little Bible with a red morocco cover on it and it Shuts up like a pocket book I Shall read it and try and lead a good life and put my trust God for he can carry me Safely through if my trust is in him for he says he is merciful to all and he will be if they Seek him you must console yourself Ma and trust in him and hope for the best. tell Darling little willie that [Idy?] does not forget him not a good deal and that he thinks he is a nice little man and must be goo to Pa and Ma and Fanny Send me his Likeness sitting in your lap the first opportunity now Ma dont fail in this I beg of you for I would not be cheated out of it for any price whatever large it might be if I have to go in to action I Shall try and do my duty like a man but It is Doubtful about my having to go in to a battle as I cannot Stand the Service at all in my situation. and I never shall be stout enough for the service any way and if I dont get a discharg it will break me down entirely but I always hope for the best. O how handy the socks will be for me they are so nice and warm I am takeing medici ne all the time and have been for the last four or five days. O if Pa was only here to take me home how glad I would be on your account and on his to he is So poorly. now Ma Keep keep up good courage and trust in God for he is good and he will carry you through all of your trials you must be as happy as you can when I write next time I will let you know where I am and what I am doing. and you must do the same by me tell Grandpa [March?] that I am sorry he is agoing away [Written on right side of Scan 4] from our neighbor hood as he is so good a neighbor him self but he can better himself [End] [Written upside down on top of Scan 4] I think by the move. now as I am tired and have [End] [Written on left side of Scan 4] wrote you a verry long letter I will quit for the present [End] [Written upside down on top of Scan 4] be sure and have Pa write to the captain to have me come [End] [Written on left side of Scan 4] home [End] [Written upside down on top of Scan 4] This is from your ever true son I G Atkins Ma be sure and send me your and willies Likeness Good Bie. Good bie Pa and Ma and the [End] [Written on left side of Scan 4] rest [End]