Big. Spring. Hospital
			near Sharpsburgh
		Mayreland Sept 28th /62

	Dearest Mother
		              as I have a
few moments to spare this
evening I will Spend them in
pening you a few lines to 
inform you how I am getting
along with Will in the Hospital
well it is tough biz you better
think but I make it go pretty
well so far Will is doing Tip Top
but cannot sit up long and
he gets pretty tired of being 
down as he has to lie on 
his back all the time and
all the beds we have is a
pile of straw on the floor
with a blanket over it

which makes rather a hard
bed for any one when sick
but if I could get one half
as good I should be glad for
when one o-clock comes I take
my boots for a pillow and lie
down on the floor and
sleep until daylight then up
and at it again I get pretty
tired some days but as they
are moving men away every day
it wont be as hard they are
sending back to Fredrick City
all that can ride, and we
are getting along fine here now 
as the Ladies from the [Cities?]
are coming in almost every
day with load of things for
the Hospital such as shirts drawers
socks & fruit of all kings
which are very nice also wines
lemons oranges & but I think
                          or something
if they could bring any ^ thing


    that would put these infernal
creepers out of the way I would
be very thankfull for it for
we have plenty of them here and
they are the regular old linebacks
(with rings in their noses), they
can just get right up and howl
the reason why we haven't
blankets enough is because they
take so many boarders that
they take legs and run away
but if they would go boys and
all I would be glad for they 
are to lazy to crack then when
they [illegible in original] on their fingure nails
Our Ward Master has bin giving
them a lecture to day and I guess
they will be a little more carful
hereafter, Oh Mother I went 
up to the Regt Friday and
who do you think I met but 
Mr. E.M. Havey almost the first man
I saw when I got there he was

   sitting on the ground on his blanket
with his Sword on his nees laughing
and joking with the boys I was glad
to see him and much more so
to hear from home and hear 
that you wer well again as I have not
recd any letters from home yet I
went up on purpose after the
mail and I recd the Rural dated
Sept 13th and was very glad to get it
I was quite pleased with the story
in it about Jonathans Present
perhaps you remember reading it that
is about all I have had time to read
yet and it took me one day and 
two nights to finish that
now    Mother I did think some
of comeing Home with Will if 
he gets a furlough but I don't
know as he will but I guess
he can get one if he tries but
we should have to pay our own
fare Home & back and then I
don't want to come Home until
I can come to stay now you
must write often for it is very
lonesome here in the Hospital
Sarah I have not got time to write
to you this time but will soon
you must not wait for me Good Bye
Please except this from B.F. Marsh