1862 October 21 Camp near Bakersville Md

       Camp near Bakersville Md. Oct 21st/62.
Dear parents
                       I received your last letter soon
after I mailed mine and was very glad to hear
from you again and also to hear you was getting
along so well but I fear you will not get along
so well this cold winter that is close at hand
but I hope a kind providence will provide for
you so that you may not suffer for the
comforts of life. I think my health is sloelyy
improving as the cool weather comes on I
have not done any drilling except a company drill
once since last spring  I feel so much better now
that I shall try to do all the duty that is assigned
me and if I cannot do it I shall try to get
my discharge.  I will try to answer your questions
you asked in your last letter.  Charles Dare was
wounded in the shoulder nearly the same as Capt.
Bucknam the last I heard from him he was
doing well and did not suffur much paine and
the Drs think he will soon get well again.  Frank
Adams was hit with a piece of a shell on his stomach
his blanket broke off the force so it did not do much
damage except a blue spot for a few days it knocked
him down and he was lame for some days there
was six volenteers called for from this Regt.
to join a batterry of artillerry and Frank
volenteered to go He has been in his new post
position now about one week.  Joshua Spiller is
here with us alive and well he has been in
a hospital for a few weeks sick he says he
has written home three times and recived no
answer yet the rest of our boys are all well and
enjoy themselves as well as soldiers generally you
said that you heard we suffured for want of
food this is not the case with us we always
have enough to eat except sometimes when we
are on a long march we get short of rations
because they do not take enough to last them

[page 2]
Since I wrote to you we have moved twice we
moove to a better camp ground one day and the next
dy we mooved back near to our old campground
we have just recieved orders to moove somewhere
now. I have heard that the 25th/Regt. had started
for the seat of war but I have not heard from
Washington I think they will go down furthur
south perhaps to New Orleans or South Carolina
I am very anxious to hear form them if they
go down there I fear Washington never will
return after we get mooved I will try to
write a few lines more.  Our order to moove
turned out to be only an order to be ready to moove
at any time so we may moove at any time so I will
try to write a few lines more and close I have heard that
Phebe Symonds was quite slim and not expected to live
I should like to hear if this is true I feel an interest
in the welfare of all the young folks that I have
assotiateed with I should be glad to write to them
all but I have been so situated that I could not
and it appears that they have all forgotten me
I still remember them all as near and dear friends
and as I said before I would be glad to write to them
all if I could. The prospect of the close of the war is
so far in the distence that it cannot be seen and I
do not see any thing to prevent a long and tedious
war but I still hope it may soon close but I
do not wish for it to close untill the rebels will lay
down arms and submit to the laws of the consti-
tution I  hope the war will never end untill this
is accomplished.  I understand we are not going to
be paid untill the 15th of next month then I
will try to send you $40.00 or $50.00 so you can
hire some one to cut wood and haul it if the steers
are not big enough to do it try and take good care
of the cattle and give them enough to eat if you
have to buy hay who takes care of Washington's stock and other
things my sheat is full and I must close
From you son H M Cash

Hiram M. Cash,  Co. K, 5th Maine

MSS 12916