Camp near Falmouth, VA

Monday April the [possibly 13- long blank area], 1863

Hopes the children are better than they were in her last letter. Regiment is out on picket: “they went out on Saturday and left me and Lieut Walker in Charge of the Camp we expect them back tomorrow if nothing happens. Yesterday was a Dreadful warm day it was hard work to keep Comfortable in the shade the mud is pretty near all dried up and the grass looks fresh and green. Yesterday our division was Recieved [sic] by a foreign General. He was fixed up in all the grand and most Costley [sic] Uniform you could imagine”. Tom feels bad because he hasn’t heard from Julia in a month “…the Docters [sic] Held Quite a Consultation Over him yesterday and I shoulden’t wonder if he got his Discharge”. Tom is relieved from hard duty. All the boys talk about is money, some got paid but he doesn’t know when he will get paid, if will be for 4 months. He won’t get any of his Sergeants pay this time but thinks he can send home $46 which will leave him with only 6 dollars and he’s afraid they won’t get paid for another 4 months. He got the paper and sealing wax she sent and “that letter you sent with Josephines I have never received”. He only gets one letter a week and it’s from Clarinda. Lengthy closing hoping the children are getting better.