1862 November 23 Post Hospital

                             Post Hospital Nov 23d
Dear Mother
               I  received yours of the 18th this
forenoon and was surprised to hear that you
had not heard from me within a fortnight
as I have wrote 2 letter before this which you
could not have got perhaps the reason was
that I did not pay postage as I used the
stamps to buy tobacco with and sent them
without I am sorry to hear that father hurt
himself if those two ladies were my acquaintance
their shop is a little ways above the depot
in the same block where I used to be
So Ned said I was fat and dirty what can
be expected where men lie on the ground
and have but one suit of clothes no change
at all so that when I wash my shirt &
drawers I have to go without till they are dry
pants the same that I slept out on the
Chickahominy & the battlefield with so
that you know they cant be clean
This camp is the dirtiest hole that ever was
we do the best we can to keep it clean
but where 10000 men have to cook rations
seperate with cedar boughs and anything
that comes to hand what can you
expect nobody here to take any interest

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or provide any thing for us only once in
a great while they send down a couple of
brooms for [?] men to sweep up
tents street and everything else and the
camp itself is in one of the meanest
places it could be I wish I could get
out of this place and get in some good
quarters Send me a little money, if
you can as well as not send it in a
letter I will risk it  Write again soon
With much love
                    From your aff son
                           Wm Wallace


[envelope]
Mrs. E. Smith
       Newton Lower Falls
                 Mass.

William Wallace Smith, Co. B., 22nd Massachusetts

MSS 15360