New Convalescent Barracks
		Sunday March 1st /63

Dear Mother
	      After so much
delay I seat myself to write you
a few lines in answer to your
letter which I received nearly
a week ago. and which I should
have answered sooner but for
two reasons. one that I had
no material and the other
reason was that I have been sick
for a few days past and not able to
do anything. but I am getting
quite like myself again
     We received our detail pay
yesterday so that I may expect to
hear from me more regular than
for the past 3 or 4 months.  _ _ _
   If I thought that we would get
paid again before I should have
to leave I would send part of it
home but if I should have to

for the Regt before getting more pay
it might be two or three months
more before I should get any more
and so I am at a [stand?] to know
what to do. they say that there
is a Paymaster detailed to pay
the working hands here but how
true it is I do not know
     We are having very muddy
going and the prospect is that it
will continue so for some
time yet to come but the
days are getting so long. that
it begins to feel like summer in
the middle of the day and
as soon as the Rainy Season is
over the mud will dry up pretty fast.
	There is no news of much
importance from the army
of the Potomac and indeed
we cannot expect any thing very
soon on account of the weather
   Our Atlantic fleet is daily expected
to be heard from before the
walls of fort Sumpter or the

    City of Savanna while
    our forces in front of
   Vixberg are in readiness to
recommence the bombardment
of that place. and the Banks
expedition is expected to make
an attack upon Port Hudson on
the Mississippi and we are
anxiously waiting the results
which if they prove to be on the
side of Union and Liberty 
it will have a very good effect
upon the country
     There is nothing of much 
importance going on in
congres except the Conscription
Bill which passed the house 
day before yesterday I will 
try and get a paper with 
a copy of it and send to
you     No more this time
     Write soon and accept this
from your absent son
		   John. H. Wheeler
To Mrs
    Sarah Wheeler	Love to all, Good Bye