My Dear Wife
The Mail came up the first of the weak and much to my plesure and joy there was a ma letter for me from Mr. [illegible]. there had ben 3 or 4 mails without my getting a letter but then I suposse by the last two mails the last one dated July 5 so that I shall not exspect but one or two more as you presist in beliveing that I shall be at Home at the first of August in place of Sept.
I have delaid writting for three or four days in hopes that I should find out somthing near when Gen. Banks was agoing to furnish Transportation for us to go Home. there is 7 or 8 or nine Months Rigt here. these times have ben out from two to five weaks and there is no prospect appearently of there going now more than there was a weak ago
What Banks means by keeping them so long after thier time is out I dont understand he appears to be indifferent about it. the reason may be that he has so large a field to protect from the Rebels that he is affraid to let the go as he may want them to Garrison the differnt places he has taken the same as we are doing now at this place
From the first of last April or rather from the time we made the first March tords Port Hudson about the Middle of last March the 53d Rigt have ben constantly on hard duty. Thay have marched as many miles faught as many battles as any Rigt in this Department. It seemes to me that we should be sent Home on timeis hard Service in[d]itte us to have Justice dun
The Soldiers are feeling vary hard tords Banks. I understand that the 50 Rigement have refuse to do duty. I do not exspect and you must not espect Me Home till thee vary last of next month if any thing should Happen that we should come before that time I shall be Hapily disapponted. I have ben partickular in writting about this since you have always spocken about my being at Home at the first of Aug.
My Health is vary good most of the time although I feel the effects of the climate as most of the men do. it makes me feel light about the Head a sort of diziness I also felt as if I did not want to [illegible] the treauth is I feel Lazy (perfectly natural you will say) I am affraid that it will be a hard Job for me to go to work when I get Home.
The convalesant keep coming in so that the Regt is grown larger for the first time Since we left Home. although there is a large number that are scatterd round in differnt places and it will be a good deal of work to get them together
John Nutting + Solon Spoonner are quite unwell they are at Baton Rouge Nutting is Billious Spooner is all run down sort of discureaged. I think that he will get better when he gets into a differnt climate John Mecorney Health is the best now that it has ben for a long time Mr Eaton leg was getting better the last time I saw him we left him at Baton Rouge if he has good care I think he will get well if he has good care I don't think of any others that you know that are sick Col Kimball has not joined the Rigt yet but is exspected in a day or two he is getting better he is as popular as ever with the men
There is a prospect that the Rigt will paid Sometime before we leave the 38 Mass Rigt was paid to day. I went down to the Sutlers Tent and the way he was taking in the Money from the men that had Just ben paid offlSome of them I presume had not had a dollar for months and it was a treat for them to buy a peace of Chees and a Sheat of Ginger Bread The most I care about being paid off is that I am affraid you need it. I wish thay would pay me and send me Home perhaps you are getting along better without me so far as money is concerned but I want to come and will let you do the Financering if you can manage to keep us out of debt
Company B is with the Regt now thay were being detatched most of the time Since last April Capt Corey quaters [sic] are right beside of mine so that I see him evry day. I was talking with Sherb [could also be Shuk, but another member of Company B was named Sherborn Farmer] Farmmer last night he is vary ancious to get Home his Health is vary good.
I have Just bin a visiting I got tierd of writting so I went and called on [John L.] Mecorney and made a renlar [?] Rhoman [?] visit that we taked about our wifes and Slanderd our Oficers John thinks his wife would like to see him. I dont belive it do you. [sic] perhaps I cannot interest you better than by writting some of our convesation John thaught he shouldlike to visit the division and see how thay look in thier Hall then we taked over the question wether it would be best to attend the meettings so many of the young men that used to belong to us have proved untreue to thier obligations at the vary time when thay attending the meettings of the Division. Young men that would not like to have thier world dobtted in a buisness Transsaction. there is one that has proved treue he is a friend indeed not only to the Division but to the Caus. I mean we [struggled - ?] [sentence squeezed in between the lines - hard to make out the last word] We then taked of some of our officers thow that have command of Brigattes + Divisions Some of them it is said were Drunk in evry Battle that has ben faught. and our men were whiped at this place the other day in quancequnce of two of the commanding Officers being Drunk. I am Sattisfied that many bad mistakes are made in our Armey the result of poor whiskey. this I think is treue of Some of the Dacters and I saw one Chaplen that was visiting the wounded after the Battle of the 14th of June that to my eyes had evry apperancce of having taken to much Whiskey. now this is not treue of the Priviates to any extant for they cannot get it unless thay happen to be Senterd in or near Some Citty and then thay are not only punished for being Drunk but the man that sold it to him is punished by having his shop closed up.
I am in hopes that it will not be necissary for me to write but once more before I leave for Home You nead not exspect but one more letter. but if we Should Stay another month I shall write more than once. I will not finish now as I am a going to write a few more lines to Sarah and Scold her for not writting me. and I may have some news that I may want to write by that time.
Sunday July 26
I thought that the Col [Col. Kimball] would be back to to day [sic] so that might have some informasion in relation to what our next movements would be butas he has not come I will finish this to night as this is the usual time tht you take to write me. I am affraid that you are not writting to night as you will that [sic] is will be useles as I may not get the letter. It is now 1/2 past 4 P.M. I suppose you are eating Supper I wish I was there to take Tea with you how it would rellish to have a good cup of Grean Tea made by my Wife (how can I wait) the time seems long. We have no meettings here on Sunday no Brother Davis or Cheever to chear and encourrage in the Path of duty. how I should like to be ritch. Do you suppose I would not be willing to do my share tords keeping the doors of Trinitaren Church open Perhapes there will be a way provided to do so yet. it was a mistake that there was not a willingness to give in the Pews. I here [sic] that there has ben an auful Riot in New York Where will this Rebelion end is it possible that we live in the 19th Century in a christian land. I am ancious to Get the partickulars. I think of nothing more to write this time. My love to All espesley to my Dear Wife
Silas W. Browning
Compiled by Walter G. Blenderman;