Cherry Run Virginia
Ambulance Corps
July 9th, 1864
I take the opportunity to write you a few lines. I am again within 13 miles of where I started from 2 months ago. We have traveled about 1200 miles & have had starvation and death staring us in the face & not a few have been stared out of countenance & have gone to their long home. I am still among the living and will be in the land of civilization as soon as an opportunity comes & I intend to leave this army & will settle somewhere far west of this. You need not be surprised if you should get a letter addressed from some other point.
Hank, I have been sick for more than two weeks. I have had the disease which gets a man up in the night- an awful complaint. I am most dead poor so poor that when I walk my ribs rattle together and make beautiful music. I tell you boy, you may have heard of armies suffering & all these little trifling things but an army since this was commenced has suffered like General Hunter’s[2] since the 29th day of May. If this paper is a little dirty you will overlook it. I suppose I might go wash my hands as the Potomac runs but a little way from here. I intend to go this evening and take a little soak.
I would like to be in Wayne County (NY) this evening a little while. If I come from the army I may call in your country on the sly & not be very sly either. If I do leave I intend to make some Western spot my home until this cruel war is over.
Well how are all the folks? I received your letter while laying a few hundred miles from here at Charles Town (WV) on the Kanawha River. There we took the boat- a river steamer & came to Parkersburg a way west of here some miles a right smart lot of them & there we took the cars & came here and here we are. We will leave here as soon as the bridge near here is rebuilt which the rebs destroyed. Since we have been gone they have been raising particular Moses since we left. Martinsburg is our headquarters & we have lots of stores there. They have had possession but did not get in until the stores were run out. Do you see they were a little disappointed- they are not far from here.
Now I don’t want to see any more Rebs, battles, long marches & short rations or General Hunter, either. I guess you will think I am demoralized. I am a little. Bill is in the hospital in Gallipolis (OH). I don’t think he will ever soldier his time out. I think he has the lung disease. Hank, you say you went to meeting. I would like to have been there. I suppose I too would have been there although I have said several times that I would never go there again. How did you spend the Fourth of July? I rode 12 miles before breakfast from Loup Creek to Charles Town. There we spent the day, and in the p.m. a boy by the name of Doc got the 1st lieut to give us the order and we got him about as drunk as a man ever did get in one day. I took in a few sherry goblets.
You will please give my respects to all the good people, your family & to the people in the red house. Write soon & oblige your sincere friend,
[2] General David G. “Black Dave” Hunter took command of the Army of the Shenandoah on May 21, 1864. He pursued, at the direction of Grant, a scorched earth policy and gave the rebels much grief until June of 1864 when he and his men attempted to take Lynchburg, VA but were repulsed by the Confederate Lt. Gen Jubal Early.
[3] Thomas Akenhead born July 1838 to Thomas & Florinda Akenhead in Wayne County, NY. He enlisted 22 Dec 1863, serving in the 1st NY Cavalry
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