Letter from Wm B. Stevens, dated 1862-10-07

Assistant Quartermaster's Office, 2d Brigd. Smith's Division, October 7th 1862.

Dear Mother,

Thy & Mary's letters of September 15th & 23d were received on the day before, & as it is more than time for me to write home I will try to answer them to night. I was very glad to get news from Mary, and more, as it is evidence that she is at least a [underline]little[/underline] better than before. Camp life agrees with me, as well as ever, & I continue to improve in flesh, strength, health & spirits, for I must confess that, for almost the first time in my life & for [underline]quite[/underline] the [underline]longest[/underline], that last named commodity in my composition was at a very low standard, for about three weeks, of my late hospital life. I consider myself now, in better health, than I have been for eleven month before, or since my first entry on service in the Regtl. Hospital, one year ago, this month. I may have received some good lessons in regard to care-taking in my last year & I am in hopes I shall profit by them in future.

[upside down?]

pound of butter. This I thought would be for a story so I got only a

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little, for the sake of the story; but when I got short again I had to 50 cents for a loaf. I laid in a supply and concluded I would never tell any one of it at all & I am going to stick to the resolution. Here I board with the Captain & live very well. Give my love to all & write soon. I will write Mary in a few days.

As ever Thy loving Son

W. B. Stevens

to R. B. Stevens

Perley's men have indeed found their ways to [Vt.?] sooner than I supposed they would, but I do not suppose I can say I blame them for it, neither can I say I am at all disappointed in them. The weather here is still very fine and though the nights are somewhat cool, the days are as warm as Summer need to be. We are in a good location here. There is plenty of good water right in our dooryards; the Spring rising there is sufficient to furnish a Mill Power as a few rods from us. We are expecting to move a short distance soon; but not far, I am in hopes. Vegetables are quite plenty & I wish [thee?] could have some of the Fruit which I am daily in receipt of. The man in whos house we are stopping, furnishes us beautiful pears & apples, & some dys peaches too. The Penn. Militia of whom we hear so much, stole enough Catawba Grapes, to make twenty galons of wine. If the stories are true I and all, will soon have reason to congratulate the Ladd, you mention, and in the proper time I shall be very much pleased to do so. I had a letter written for Timothy written when I got Mary's last, but as he will not get till he returns from his journey, I did not send it

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My time will be more occupied now than in the hospital, but I intend to write home as often as ever, nevertheless, as I shall wish to hear just as often as then. I have not heard from Henry except by way of home, since I [came?] My dismissal from the Society came safely & as thee knows the tenor of that as well as of my mind, which has not changed inthe past year, I need make no remarks upon it. Poor Uncle Timothy is released at last. The poor man has sufferred severely & we cannot lament his departure though we can & do sympathize with Aunt Paulina & George. I did not know till thine, that George & Tinkum was married. My congratulations to him, when thee sees him. I do not know as it is worth your while to send me a box, though some things would be very acceptable. The only article of clothing it is worth while to send would be Shirts, Boots, Stockings & perhaps a pair of Mittens. If you see fit to send anything of this kind you can do so. For Shirts I would like a pair of white, knit, under shirts, if they are to be found, if not, some others will do, all but the white which I am paticular about.

For outside shirts I would prefer good heavy, bleached cotton ones if it would not be too much trouble for you to make them. The Socks & Mittens I need not direct about, only the [see note] part. If Horace would get some boots like those I had made before I came out (which he will rememember, were very heavy double soled calf, and send them with his bill for them I will be much indebted to him & will send the price, when we are paid off again. Further than this I will make no suggestions except to say, put nothing in, which not keep for a month, at least as we may move so that I do not get it in less. Several packages of Express matter came in for the Regts. yesterday & they were some of them sent so long ago as when we were at Camp Griffin; others were directed to Harrison's Landing [Va?]

Unless you hear from me again direct to me at the Co & Regt. 2nd Brigade Smith's Division, Hagerstown, Md.. When I came here the Captain paid me my extra duty money of the Spring, amounting to ($2600) twenty six dollars, which with some change & a dollar in Postage Stamps was stolen from me the same day. Doubtless the thief needed it more than I did & I hope he is truly thankful for his good luck. I should have sent some home but for this mishap. Thee has asked me several times if I was not in need of money, but I have had enough all the time. My expenses are, not large now. On the road to Camp, I had to buy my rations & the expense was considerable, for instance, at Fredrick I had to pay [28?] cts. for a loaf of bread and the same for a