[Written sideways on left side of Scan 1]

January 
25th 
1862

[End]

                            Camp Mekim 
                                Baltimore
                                  Maryland

               Dear. . Wife ..&..Daugter
your letter just now lay before me
It found me well but I am sorry to say
it found John sick but I am in hops that
he will not remain long in the Hospital where
he now is I hardly know how nor what to
write but I will tell you about our meeting 
that we are now ahaveing Oh if you only was here
                 me
to go with^    oh how happy I should be but as it now
is I will go and enjoy my self the best that I
Can and that is good for I love to go to Church
Oh as I came home night before last I was
startled by Charley Brownhill call for help
for he said that David Sebolt was [illegible] and I
was up on my Bunk I had my Boots off
I jump down and ran to him I saw that
was in afit and then I ran and put on
my boots on and went after the Doctor and 
he came and said that he would soon get over
it and he went back to his quarters and went 
after again in about [15?] minutes and he was
gone I Came back and took hold [done?] all 

that layed in my power to save him
Brownhill John K Roade and my self
worke with him from [9?] Oclock until
[smudged letter] 3 the next morning when he died Oh how
I did hate to see that poor Boy die he was
such awicked Boy oh makes me think of
living nearer to my Lord and master for life
is so uncertain Oh my friends live so if we
should never [crossed out] [she] meet here on earth that
we may meet in that Heavenly Kingdom above
where we shall meet to part nor [more] forever
that we may sit by the right hand of god
and sing his praise forever more
Eliza I cannot express my feeling as I wish
I could oh I am so happy and so taken up with
our meeting  I have had my name put on 
their Class Book there has anumber of our Boys
that has given them selves up to god and are for 
ever bound to be alamb of god
tell father for me that I would like to
have him write afew lines when you answer
this letter if nothing more than  to say I am
well Eliza I have sent a small box of things 
to you I sent them by one of the soldiers that
was agoing home he is agoing to leave them to Dibbles
store it is for little Lilly it is a present to
her by alady here in the City by the name of Welch
and I want that you should send me alock of her hair
and fixed it will so I can give it to her you must excuse

[Written sideways on left side of Scan 2]

me for this time for I have got three letters beside this to write and next time I will

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[Written on top of Scan 2]

do better and send you alonger one I sent you my likeness the 
other day and wrote aletter that time so I guess this will do

[End]

[Written sideways on right side of Scan 2]

I will try and go clear around my letter with aline write and let me know if you get
my likeness or not if you look sharp you will find my name somewhere

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[Written upside down on bottom of Scan 2]

           Dick                    Dick Austin

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