1861 August 15 Culpepper C.H [Virginia]

My Dear Creek

As Mr Homan is going to start
home this morning I avail myself of the opportunity
of letting you know that I have perfectly recovered
my health (and strength almost) and intend
joining the Regiment again tomorrow. I
have been very kindly treated since I have been
here, I believe the smiles of the Ladies has done
more for me than anything else. Now dont
get jealous, for I never see a kind Lady or a
pretty one but I think of you, and wish you
were with me. Before I came to this place I had
not seen a Lady in 5 or 6 weeks and it was almost
a novel sight for me to see one, but it did not
take me long to get used to them again, but I found
that Camp life had almost done the little
etiquette of which I was possessed out of my
head, and I had to commence anew but i
was a pretty apt Scholar and got along finely.

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I have received your letter of the fourth, and was
truly glad to hear from you. you say you have some
cotton socks for me, they are all I want--I have
some very fine woollen ones which I got out of a
Yankee Box which we found after the Battle,
if you can get any heavy grey flannel I should
like you make me two shirts to wear outside in
winter.--Homan or any of our men who are at
home can tell you how they are made, make
them long as a common shirt with sleeves
and colar the same, if you cant get grey
Blue or Pink or any other colar will do so it is
flanel. Poor Lany Reids corpse starts home
this morning, it is really distressing to see so
many noble and gallant young men dying as
there is here, at this place, there is not short
of three thousand sick and wounded in the
village at present, most of the sick have
Measals or Typhoid fever. I feel very much
distressed about Lany he was a favourite with
all of the Regiment who knew him. Robert Keys
is also very sick here in hospital he has had
Pneumonia and altho he has got rid of it

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to some extent, yet he is far from being out
of danger, if you see his father let him know
this and say to him I think some one had
better come on and take care of him as the attention
paid to the sick in Hospital is no better than it
should be and with good care Bob would soon
get will, with bad attention his case is a
doubtless[sic] one. You must not fall out with
me for writing you such short letters paper cant
be got in this town for neither love nor money
scarcely, but I have plenty in camp and when
I get back their I will write you long letters
again. I heard from William yesterday he is
well, the Health of my Company is Better
than any in the Regiment--more of my men
being fit for duty than any others

Kiss our little Darling for me and tell her
Papa will soon come home to see her,
and bring her pretties dear little angel how
I do want to see her I never see a little dhild
but I have to speak to it. Write me often and
let me know all the news give my Regards to all
our friends and believe me Your
William

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I send a God Dollar to make a pin
for Little Maggie

4th Regiment, South Carolina Volunteers (Palmetto Sharpshooters)
MSS 10366