Camp Ella Bishop      Feb 17 1863 
Respected Brother 
    Your kind & interesting 
letter of the 10th inst was received in due 
time & was perused with pleasure 
I was glad to hear that you were all well 
& hope this will find you Still in 
the enjoyment of health my health is 
improveing daily I am on duty again 
Mrs Thorn got up Some rather tall notes 
about the Boys from what I can hear 
per M 
you Say that if I thought that 2.50 
   would 
was not enough for those logs you ^ pay 
more that is all that I should have 
a 
charged you had I Set ^ price on them 
There was a mistake in the report that 
I had been promoted to first Sergeant 
I am only fifth George Brewster holds 
the position of first Seargent perhaps you 
have heard that Cap Hill has been discharged 
on account of inability physically & gone home
Lieutenant Turner has resigned also 
& gone home So you See that we have 
lost the two commisioned officers that 
were with us at Hilldale we have not 
got a captain at present Lieut Hill 
Cap Hill's Brother has the command of 
our company at present perhaps he 
will be promoted to Captain & a fine 
man he is to & I think will make a more 
[crossed out] [but] better captain than our first cap 
was for Second Lieutenant we have 
a young fellow from hear Jonesville 
by the name of Ed Champlin 
  Ralph Stout has Some kind of a 
fever he was Sent to the Hospital yester 
-day perhaps you had better Speak to 
the Elder about it I do not know what 
kind of fever he has the doctor told 
philip Conklin that he would be 
wors than he now is Albert Carver 
does not Seem to gain much yet 
Michael Howland went to the Hospital 
yesterday the rest of the Boys from our
parts are doing well at present & appear 
to be in good Spirits 
  Well William I think I to Should be hapy 
to hear that peace was again established 
on principles of Justice & righteousness 
for my part I cannot Say that 
I really like the Soldiers life 
but I am here & mean to make the  
best of it Some how it Seems 
to me that this war cannot last 
a great while     Time will tell 
There has quite a number of the 18th 
that have gone to their long homes 
there has about 70 died there is a large 
number on the Sick list probaly Co F 
does not report more than 40 men 
that are fit for duty 
So you See that the climate & exposure 
of camp life is haveing its affect on 
us if we are to remain in Servis Three 
years there will but few of us return to 
our homes as I have no more to write at 
present I will Close So good bye
Write again & tell me how drafting 
Gets along in Wright & who has been 
drafted in Wright & tell all the 
other News 
I Am as Ever your Brother 
James Lickly 
 
 
To Wm Lickly