The Civil War Letters Camp Hamilton April 2, 1862

Camp Hamilton April 2d 1862

My Dear Wife

 i received your kind and welcome letter to day and i was very glad to here that you was still injoying good health as this leaves me at present  for this last few days i have not felt very well but still i am not sick  i still keep on at my duty as usal  i guess i will be all right in a few days  there has been a busy time down here for this last week there has about 100,000 Troops arrived at this place and there is more coming  there are all encamped within the space of 6 or 8 miles so we have quite a large army here at present   there is a great many Pennsylvania Rigements here  Baxters Fire Zouaves  Col Bakers California Rigement. Birneys 23d and a good many other Philadelphia Rigements  as soon as all the soilders arrive here that are ordered here they will make a grand move in force  i do not know wether our Rigement will go with them or not  we have received no orders as yet  we are still under Gen Wool and as long as Gen Wool will stick to us we will have to stop where we are at the fort but as yet we do not know wether we will go or not  i suppose it will Depend on Circumstances. We received our pay on Sunday afternoon and i tell you it looked funny to be payed of on Sunday afternoon but we have no Sundays here  Sunday is like any other day with us  every day is alike

Charles Atkinson wrote a letter to a young man of our company last week in which he said that he had Deserted and started for Canada but he said that he had packed the things you sent with him and things that Noilengins (???) Mother and a great many other things  he packed them up together and sent them to us by Adams express but they have not arrived as yet  perhaps he may have wrote a lie or they may yet arrive yet  at any rate he has proved him self to be a very mean man to say the least of him. inclosed in this letter you will find $20.00 which i send you  it is but little but it is all i am able to send this time  i had several thing to buy for my comfort and things are very Dear down here i can tell you as i might have sent you more.

Dear Wife  i have no more to say as yet  all is well at present  i hope that you will get over your trial and your sickness all safe and sound

perhaps this war will not last so long  i expect this summer will bring an end to it  at least i hope for a peace by that time for i think that i would be much happyer if i was at home living with my wife than i am soildering  for it is not what it is cracked up to be

So i must close my letter hoping for the good time coming.

Give my Best respects to Jane  Your Mother and all of the family and all inquiring friends

and with my best love for you i am Your
Affectionate Husband
William Lancaster

Please write as soon as you receive this and let me know that you have received the 20 Dollars.
Yours  W. Lancaster

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