Spring Hospital near Sharpsburgh, M.D.
3 o'clock, Saturday morning Oct 4th 1862
	      Dear Mother
		                   this morning finds
me well but dreadfull sleepy for I
have bin up all night all alone and
I have tried every way I could tink of
to keep awake but it is a hard matter,
and now I will try to write you
a few lines, for I can keep awake better
writing than any other way, mother
I think some of staying here for
a [illegible] all the time I get 25, cts per
              					 twenty Dollars	
day extra which makes [illegible] $20.00 per, month
but it is harder work than it is to
follow the Regt, and perhaps after wi
Will gets well I shall go back with him
for it will be lonesome here this
place is being fixed for a general
Hospital, tell Mr Shaw Will is getting
along real well he has got so he can

raise himself up in bed alone and
almost get up, his wounds are healing
good
^ and look very nice he will be around
in a little time now, he is waiting
very anxiously to get a letter from his
father to see if he thinks he had
better come home on a furlough
he says it will cost so much
he don't want to come, now Mother
I want you to write all the news let 
me know what the folks at home 
think about the war now, every
body is greatly  incouraged out here
they all think it wonte last much
longer, Old Uncle Abe is out here
whare our army is now they are
having Grand review well mother I
must put this aside again this is the
second time I have seated myself to write
on this letter as it is half past five
Sunday morning now and I must stop
and sweep out my Ward and wash
my men and get them ready for

breakfast I have eight to ten, I
    will try and finish this some
time to day good, morning for the
present well mother how are
the folks this afternoon I feel
very well myself, yes now I must stop
again and help the Wardmaster dress
wounds      Monday evening well
dear Mother how are you this evening
I thought this morning I would go up
to our Regt and start early so
I could stay and see the boys some
but just as I was eating my
breakfast up came the doctors to
cut off a mans leg in my ward
so I did not get away until after
noon and it is over five miles up
there and it was quite late when 
I got thare but I got well paid for
going I got three letters for Will & three for 
myself which are the first we have recd
O Dear Mother you cannot think how
happy I was to get a letter from my Dear

home once more it seems a long time since I
left home but I like it very well as yet but
I am very sorry you are So lonesome at home but you
must do as well as you can. I was very glad to hear
that father has gone to the Asylum not for his
sake only but for yours I suppose it makes home
lonesome but Dear Mother you must think of
the better days comeing and keep up good cheer
I read one letter from you one from Sarah and
one from Mrs. Dible. tell her I was very happy
to hear from her and will answer it as
soon as I get time tell her also that I did
not see Clark today when I was over to the Regt
but Dewit said he saw him just a few min-
utes before I came he is well – I wanted
to see all the boys but I wanted my letters
the most and when I got them I found
Martin Spaulding, thare and he was going
within half amile of our Hospital with a
wagon so I did not stay but a very few
minutes, I am very glad you sent Alvahs letter
to me and I will return it again now
mother about my likeness I cannot get it
while we are here but if we ever go where
I can get it I will send it home, we live
on the top shelf here now we have potatoes apples
cider Hams tomatoe Preserves Apple Butter dried
peaches milk flour & & & all of which we 
get by playing light fingure or cramping
as we call it our Wardmaster has got a key
to the Old mans cellar and we go and help
ourselves to what we like best and I cook
for the boys three of us tell Sarah I will
write to her soon she must excuse me for 
not saying more to her in this and I will give her
a good long one I see my paper is  from your loving sun
full and I must close so Good Bye  .B.F. Marsh