Lyman S. Williams to Lois L. Williams
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Your letter written one week ago to-day & to-morrow came safely to hand this
morning and I need not to tell you that it was gladly received by me for I am
always pleased to get a letter from you if it is a short one but I must say that
I am very partial to long letters. Short and sweet is a good rule in some things
but as far as the short is concerned I do not like to apply to letters written
to me if I do write short ones myself sometimes I was glad to hear of the good
health at home and in return I will say that I am well as usual and so are all
the Essex boys here as far as I know and it is a general time of health here. To
day the weather is beautifull and pleasant and seem more like May than February
it is so warm and pleasant. I had not
not heard from home for more
than a week untill this morning when I was so fortunate as to receive one from
you and one from Mary and I had began to feel a little afraid that some of you
were sick but I am glad to learn the contrary. I have not heard from Nathan for
a number of days and at that time he was not very well and had been having
rather hard luck but I think I told you of it in my last letter so I will not
repete it in this I am having quite easy times now but I was pretty buisy for a
few days when I first got back for you know I had been gone a good while and so
they put me over the [road] for a few days so I should not
forget how kind in them want it. As to-day is Sunday we have nothing to do but
our usual Sunday morning Inspection and a dress parade by & by We have a new
Chaplain in our Regt now by the name of Webster and I guess that he is a good
one. A man from Vt preaches to -day I do not remember his name. We have a large
chapel built which will accomodate
three hundred I think. All is
quiet in our front and every night our boys and the rebs have a great time
talking and blackguarding one another but they are very friendly and hardly a
night passes but what a number of the rebs desert and come into our lines and
they all seem to be sick of the war and more would come if they were shure that
they would be treated well and not be forced into our Army as they are told by
their Officers The news from all quarters is still cheering and the prospect of
a speedy termination of the war grows brighter and brighter and I hope that it
will soon arrive I am glad that you liked your school so well and if you attend
this spring I hope that you will like fully as well It did not seem to me as
though I was at home but a few days and short ones at that the time passed so
swiftly and happily still I am not sorry that I came and I hope to be able to
come again soon and to stay When I was home you wanted to know
how
many fights I had been in well I only counted the separate ones and where the
fight lasted two or three days I counted it only as one but to count the number
of days it would amount to between seventy and eighty and upwards of Fifty of
them this last summer. I expect that Orman P. Ray will go home soon and I am
glad of it on his and Marys account. I will not write much more at this time but
if I can find the time I will write to you once a week We expect to be paid now
in a few days probably this week and the Paymaster will be a welcome sight to
the most of the boys and to the Officers also. Write to me often as once a week
will you not. Give my love to all the folks at home and Carrie a kiss for me I
will not write more at present so Good bye with much love.
Your aff. Brother L. S. Williams
Capt. Co. “I.” Battalion 6th Vt
Vols. Washington D.C.