Envelope

Apr. 8, 62
Mr Chas. J. Gale
Elmore LamoileCounty Vermont

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Ship WallaceApr 5th 1862Dear Brother

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As I cant find find any thing else to buisy my self about I wil write a few lines to you as I presume you wil like to read it although I have already wrote all the news to Father and Lyman. I wish I knew wh at you was doing these days and if you are all wel. I suppose you are at work in the sugar place by this time certain. and I am here doing nothing at all hardly. yesterday and day before I bought a couple boxes of tobacco and peddled out

among the boys, and made about 50 cents which was better than to set stil. it seems like a long time since I have seen or heard from you but I often drea m of being at home and see- ing you and beeing to work with you in the sugar place but I wake up and here I bee in the same bunk with Steav. I dont know but you wil think that I am getting sick of my job but I am more sick of this old boat than any thing else. I dont think I should like to be a sailor at all. there has been nothing of import ance here of late. it is war m pleasant weather here. we are expecting to place our [] on terriferma

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in course of two or three days now if not sooner. perhaps you would like to know how our clothes are wea- ring. my fatigue pants are getting some thin but no holes yet. my socks are good and I dont know of anything I want to make me comfort- able. some of the boys have worn their pants almost out but most of us wil make them last til we dra- w some more from govern- ment or longer.

Apr 6th 1862Brother Charley

as I have finished five letters to day I wil try and write a few lines more to you. it has been a long time since I have heard from you. some of our

officers have been ashore to day and fetched in a letter a most every boy in our Comapny but me. I was in hopes to get one too but have not yet. as I have been looking around to see what I can behold I see there is a great many tents on the Island and some quite large wooden bildings we are anchored west of the Island 150 rods. on the south west of this is another small Island. north is the main land Louisiana and new orlea ns. about six miles to the main land there is about 18 hundred troops on the Island. two or three days ago there was a party of one thousand went out from here up the Miss- issippi river and captured two rebel steamers and seven guns & some other stuf without the los of a man on our side. did not take any prisoners I believe. both of the steamers are here in sight. they were taken by the Conn troops. there is some troops that have been here for five months. there has been several little boats to see us to day.

J. F. Gale