Camp Backus febuary 16th 1862

[Penciled in (incorrectly)]

[1962]

[End]

     Dear Sister perhaps you have
looked for an answer before
this time but I have been
putting it of expecting to have
been home before this time
but as you See I am Still here
and it is probably that we
Shall Stay here untill the last
of next week before we get our
pay probubly you have heard
that the lancers were to be
dis banded Such an order was
received about two weeks ago but
Lieutenant Colonel Tilman
went to Washington to Se if 
he could not get the order
Suspended untill he could get us
in to Some other branch of the
army but the Secratary of war
did not give him any answer
but promised to write one soon

about three days afterward the
dispatch to disband the regiment
before that we had some order if aman
got drunk he was put in the
				     ies
guard house we had twelve Sentr^
on at once and three reliefs making
				[illegible]
thirty Six men every day and if^
[crossed out word]
^passed the lines without the
written pass Sined by one of their
commissoned oficers or the countersign
but now we have no guards at
all and the men go whare and
when they [illegible] amind to
I am down in the citty
about every day our camp being
onley about two miles up
[Wodward?] avanue
     There is a notice in the free press
     whch [crossed out word] the news boys
			ning
     brought up here this mor^
        that companies D & E
     are
     ^[crossed out] [and] to be transfered to

               				a
	[Stoctons?] regiment in virgini^
and that G and F are to be put 
into [crossed out] [Michigans] and that they
will be filled out of the others
companies   the captains of the 
companies are as follows Co D (which
is the company that I belong to)
Capt Mccutcheon. Co. E. Capt
Gunnison. Co. G. Cap  [crossed out] [Gilman]
                                   Carlton
Co. F Capt Webber        
But I am rather afraid that if
our company Should ever get
			         ld
into an engagement we Shou^
need another captain by the
time that we got out for ther
is not one in the company that
likes him he being acanadian
				      ly
born and bred as well as our order^
Sergent
Our company will not go one inch
untill they have theyr pay and
are mustered out and have their discarge

[Penned in on top of Scan 4]

Feb. 1862

[End]

when a good many of them
will enlist again but they
will not go under the oficers
they have now
But I must not write
mutch more now I for
got to tell you that
I am as well as usual
and hope that this will
find you all the same
Give my love to all 
and agood Share to [L C?]
reserving ashare for yourself
with good wishes for your
health I remain you
		absent brother
	Gershom. W. Mattoon

P.S. I would request you to
write Soon if i did not think
that I would leave here before it would get here