Mayreland
		General Hospital Mill Springs, M.D.
			Thursday Oct. 16th, 1862

	Dear Mother I am yet in the 
Hospital, and I am ashamed to think I have 
put off writing so long, but I have bin very
busy here as a week past and I could not get
time to write, besides I have not bin very well
I am troubled with the neuralegia now for
two weeks and the Dr told me to wet a cloth 
in whiskey and bind it on my face and I
did so and have it up in my head and it
troubles me a great deal but I feel it in my
teeth again tonight and I am in hopes it 
is going to leave my head for I have had
three blind spells since yesterday I was as
blind as a bat for a few minutes but
I keep around all the time now you must not
wory about me atall I guess I shall be all
right in a few days, I will write again
Sunday and let you know how I am I
have had only three letters yet from
home, and them I got all at a time now I hope
you will try and write often please let me
how many letters you have [recd?] from me
I suppose there are lots of letters in the mail
for me. at any rate I [hoped so?] for I want to
know how you and Sarah & Fred get along keep-
ing house, now as father is away tell [Fredie?] he
must be a good boy he must think hims-
elf aman of business and do all he can
be sure to write all the news about Father and
suppose you hear from him tell him Frank

thinks of him very often and would like to see
or hear from him often but as I am
so far away I cannot expect to hear from
any one very often if I was with my 
Regt I could get my mail but I don't
know where they are I would write to him
if I could write any thing that would comfort
him in any way but I don't know what to
say to him You tell him for me. I hope he
will get well and be at home to spend
Christmas & New Year with me [illegible] tell him
I will agree to meet him thare at the old 
table with a grand Chicken Pie instead of hard
bread & coffee, Oh mother I have had soft bread now
about a week yes and soft enough too for some
of it is just right for Pancakes (rather soft) I
recon) I recon) that is a regular old mayreland Dutch
byword, well now about the bread we get flour
here and have men to bake our bread and if
we had a good baker we might live very well
now we have coffee for breakfast soup for dinner
and tea for [Sippes?] with fresh beef and
boiled ham & & Oh you want to know
how Will is do you well he is getting so smart
I almost forget him he went down stairs yesterday
for the first time which was just four weeks
since he was wounded he is sleeping now or he
would have something to say in this little letter
I recon but tell his folks he is doing nobley
he recd a letter from his Aunt in Pheledelphia
today which cheered him up some. he is almost
out of money and that makes him feel rather
down he has only $2.00 two dollars left and I have

Direct as before B.F. Marsh Co G
			    8th Mich Inft
		to be forwarded	Washington, D.C

not got a red cent but I can get along well
enough myself but I wish he had some more
[crossed out] [is getting rather cool] Well Mother now I suppose it 
is getting rather cool weather and you
begin to wory about wood now I will tell
you just how to getalong you go to Mr. Smith,
and tell him you want him to furnish you
with wood this winter and I will pay the bill
every time my payday comes tell him or turn
out the cow for security if he wants it …
then you can get aman to cut it for
you and pile it all up nice. no matter what it
costs I want you to do it, and as for the
Pig, have Mr Havey furnish corn for you to
[fat?] him with and tell him you want it
fetched to you without your running to him
after it every little while and if the water
troubles you thare at the stable get some one to
dig a ditch down the fence in the sand
now you must tell me if old Robinson
lives thare yet and have they behave themselves
and now one thing more I want you to do
that is get Mr Dible to take the old cook and
also the Parlor stoves down to Mr Thurber
and trade them for just such stoves as
you want and pay the difference and
use my money you can get Jeff to do
the figuring an then for you and [you?]
go and pick out the ones you want now
that thing I want you to do without just
tell me how Mrs. White gets along if she is
thare yet and if she pays her out all right
give my love to all enquiring friends and please
except this as a letter from your son B.F. Marsh


[Written on top left side of Scan 4]

but I guess as
my paper is small
I will try and
fill it out
so as I get the
worth of my
money, we
have heard
heavy fireing
all day & I
suppose they
have bin fighting
again give my
[smudged] [illegible] to and
respects to all

[End]

[Written on upper right of Scan 4]

General Hospital. mill Springs MD
Oct 16-/62

[End]

[Written upside down on upper right of Scan 4]

Friday morning the 17 I feel quite smart
this morning and as this letter is
so small I guess I will wait until I
write again before I send
Bill Coles likeness to 
his folks

[End]

[Written sideways on upper left of Scan 4]

have to yourself
[&?] my [June, 18,?]
[wife?] [illegible]
Good Bye
		B.F. Marsh 

[End]

well Sarah (I recon) I must write 
a few words to you in this nice
little letter as you will think it strange
well now as this is such a small
letter and I have a likeness that Bill
Cole gave me the last time I was
to the regt he wanted me to send
it home [for?] him to his father he
said it was one he had taken but
I told him it was not his likeness
                [Grumner?] one leaf
atall and ([illegible]) but I will
send it for him and I wish you
to give it to Mrs Cole tell her
Bill is well as was one week ago 
when I saw him. I suppose you want
to know how I like soldiering now well first rate
only I don't like to have to cook and wash for
myself and have the neuralegia all the time it is
rather tough [faintly written “I”] I wish you could see me make
pancakes for Will here before a fireplace in a
little pan without any handle an you would
laugh I guess to see me work I would like to
get my picture some morning just as I am
at work. Oh I guess you dont find my likeness
comeing home yet for I dont get any chance to
get it taken but I will as soon as I can
you must remember what I told you about yours
and [Janes?] now dont fail to do so get them both
on one plate. well now as it is raining very
hard and it is getting late I am tired and sleepy
lonesome & lazy I guess I will bring this to a close
and in fact I cannot think of any more foolishness
to write and taking all in consideration I,ll say Good Night
                                        [written in pencil] [acc. # 1662]