In Hospital 9th Corps
Saturday Oct. 22nd -/64

Dear Mother,
I have just finished a letter 
to Alvah. but just after I put 
it in the mail box down come 
two more and as supper was all
ready I put them in pocket. 
supper over. I opened the one from
Alvah and found his Photograph 
then for the next one it had 2 
stamps on and was very full 
now thinks I Mother has sent
me a nice drawing of tea, 
but when I came to look at 
the heading of the letter it 
read this =(My Dear Beloved 
Husband. then I opened it again 

and on the other page it was 
headed Dear Father and I 
began to think something was 
wrong or somebody was crazy
so I took another peep at the 
envelope and it was Addressed 
Mr. John B. Marsh, Mich. Infty
Company E so you see I was fooled 
out of my tea A good joke 
on the subscribes. Well then I 
sealed said letter again and 
shall send it Back to the 
Regt. tomorrow again,
        Well mother I suppose you want 
to know how B. Frank is getting along 
I am in good health now but am 
in Hospital yet, or again rather. 
I am Sageing a little now on a sprained 
ancle it has been very sore but 
is getting along fine but is very 
weak yet I fear it will trouble me 
about marching a long time but 
it may save me from some 

hard times. I will be glad when 
it gets so I can go to my Company 
for it is so lonesome here in the 
Hospital. but I am waiting for the 
Regt to get into Winter Quarters before 
I join my Company. I think Gen. 
U.S. Grant is keeping his Children
out rather late it is getting 
pretty Cold here now I think we 
will have Snow soon. how is 
the Weather at Home now, 
I hope you will Sell the Cow and 
get things in shape so you can live 
without much work this Winter 
it will be so much better for you.
        Well I hardly know what to 
write for it is so cold that all 
I can think of is getting to bed to
keep warm and it is so noisey 
in here we have some 35 men 
in our Ward and only three that
are very sick We are all [Convivence?] 
or Convilesants some sick some 

sicker and some playing offs
        Oh mother I am getting a Nice lot of Photoes 
Oh I think so much of Yours, it is a good 
one. and Alvahs is such a Nice one too.
              Alvah Wrote that Sarah had gone 
to Mr. Propers to spend a few days so I 
guess Mrs. Terry is better the last letter 
I had from Sarah Mrs. T. was very 
sick I hope she is well by this time
he Said also that Jane Wheeler was 
at our House sick I am sorry to hear 
she is sick I have not heard from Jane in 
a long time I suppose she thinks I am 
an curious fellow for I have not written 
to her in a long time even before I was 
Home but I thought by her last letter 
she wished to discontinue Corrispondance 
and I do not wish to crowd my poor letters 
upon anyone knowingly so I let things 
drop. I wanted to see her very bad when 
I was Home you know I had Sarah write to her 
to learn where she was and could not get any 
reply to it so I did not see her at all 
I was sorry for I wished to see her 
and have an understanding. I sometimes 
think I will write and ask for an expl
ination. but I am getting so I think it is 
a task for any one to answer my letters &
sometimes think I will not write any 
more to any one but Mother and Sarah
Oh me I must close Please except this 
from your Son 
in love.             B. F. Marsh

Mrs H.J. Holmes
Fentonville
Michigan