Valentine G. Barney to Maria Barney
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I have a little time to spare between the hours of the Court Martial so will
write you a short letter I have not heard from you for nearly a week but presume
it is not your fault because I know you to be alwas very prompt and should I not
get a letter from you for a month I would not think you had forgotten me but
think something else was the trouble for if even one had confidence in another I
have in you and I hope the time is not far distant when we can enjoy each others
company in our dear little home with our darling little ones to be about us and
make us doubly happy by their noise and prattle I tell you Maria I can testify
to the truth of the song when it says be it ever so humble there is no place
like home, but after all I feel that I have a duty to do as well as others to my
country and were I at home now I dont think I could content myself while I saw
so many others who were just as fond of home as I saw the Chief
the paper speaks of
myself forsaking all for the maintaniance of the Union and I dont
see how any able man can be countented to sit still and do nothing when such
great things are to be done and so much help needed. You will see by the paper I
send you that 1500 of the Rebel Prisoners have arrived here they are the
Rustyish looking lot of human beings I ever saw to gather some have old Bags for
Blankets some old pieces of Carpeting old Bed quilts and any thing that will
keep them warm when they arrived here they had been 27 days on the Boat and Cars
and had not seen any fire or had any thing but Raw bacon and hard bread to eat
in that time and I tell you they were sorrowful looking fellows They are very
ragged and dirty and their hats are of all shapes and some have none at all but
have an old piece of Carpet to Cover their head. Quite a number of them were
sick when they got here and had to be brought up in wagons and 5 or 6 have died
since their arrival. They are all sick of the war and are anxious to have it
closed. They claim to have been pressed into the service. They are from the
Murfreesboro fight and we expect
a lot from Arkansas Post this
afternoon. We are pretty heavily taxed for guard now and yesterday our Co
furnished 23 men and we report only 25 for duty so it left only two for cooks
&c The wheather is very warm now and the Rebs are out sunning themselves
they are to be seen in every direction going through Camp and now two are
standing in front of my window talking. I wish you could be here and see them. I
have not been to see about the envelope for a few days but presume it will be
all right for the Chaplain has recovered his all right and I have but little
doubt as to mine I went down to a Temperance lecture the other night and it was
first rate after the lecture was over we had some of the best singing and piano
playing I ever heard I am real well and fleshyer than you ever saw me but were I
put at hard work I think it would not be the right kind of flesh to stand it. My
Company are quite healthy and the most are very fleshy Capt Cleveland has
command of 162 of the Rebels and we called him Capt Jeff of Co D. Kiss the
Babies and continue to write as you have
Truly your affectionate Hus Val G B-