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Acton Memorial Library |
Civil War Records of Levi H. Robbins
Letter dated June 1 [1861] from Levi Robbins
to his mother Mrs. Benjamin Robbins
(Acton Memorial Library archives 2008.4.6)
Page 1 and 4 (image)
Page 2 and 3 (image)
Page 5 (image)
Page 6 (image)
Relay House
Camp, June 1
Dear Mother
I received your
letter this morning I got one from Abram
I get the news from Acton as for that
money you had better take it I guess
for it was raised for the families
and the soilders so you se it belongs
to you and me I am getting my share
so you had better take yours but if
Nate thinks you had better not for
perhaps some of the families may want
it more than you do I should think you
would have to live pretty close but we
live snug seven and ten in a tent
when we dont go on gard and lay out on the
ground you said you thought I should die
laying out on the ground in the rain
I have laid out in the rainey nights
[p.2]
and felt better than if I had laid
in a bed I dont think you could get
so many men to gether and not have
more sickness keep them in the
best house you could find how does
the children get a long suppose Sayla
will go to school and I dont know
all of them will tell Nate when I
come home I will go a fishing with
him and a hunting for I shant have
a chance to kill any thing out here
June 30th it was so hot and I had
to go out in force and Sunday
I had to take 8 men and gard the
Relay House and depot it takes 30 men
to gard that station the
relievs ten men at a time we dont
have to post any onley in the night
as for my washing I dont have much
to do I have sent all of my white
shirts home only the under shirt
wich was worn out and that I throwed
[p.3]
a way and the Goverment shirts dont
get dirty as for that I get a long fist
role as in every thing I think that
Simon hid it in not selling his
oxen without he got a good price for
them for beef will sell better
next winter [illegible] the
gave three cheers for old Elect
ion out here I had a letter from
Abram at the time I received yours
as for your Election cake I dont
feel as though I care much a bout it
I dont seam to want any thing like
cake dont se much as when I was at
home I have made a lot of mistakes
but I shall let them go I dont know
what to write you must have a good
time Nate and Susie has come
for you wont be so lonesome I am
glad come out here for it would
be so dull in Acton I have to keep
getting up to se the troops go t[h]rough
[p.4]
there has jest been a nother long
train through here the tops of
the cars covered and platforms
and the inside packed full I
should think thay would break
them down thare is a nother
train coming I can hear it
I should like to see the children
and all the rest of the folks
what does Susie think a bout
the [illegible] some of the boys say
thare letters dont go but mine must
if you get three from me some
times I get a lot and then I dont
get any for two t[h]ree days I suppose
I shall get a letter from you before
you get this you would like to stand
out here in the night and hear the
gard say ten o clock and all is
well and all the hours in the
night same you have read [illegible]
but I had rather hear and se it
then I know what it is I guess you
wont want to let any one read this
for I dont think you can your self give
my Love to all From Levi
[p.5]
evening, I did not send
my letter this morning because
the Chaplain was goin to Bal-
and I could not get any [illegible]
envelopes since then I have
received a letter, Henry he has
wrote me before but I did not
get it he is well so is his wife
we had a milk toast for supper
I made it it was jest as good as
any that we get at home you had
better put Mass V, M on my letter
for MVM stands for Mane and for
Mishagan so you see that MV,M
stand for three states but I guess
I have got all the letters you have
sent me but I guess I have lost
some from others do you have any
flies if you dont I will send you
some for I can ketch them like
a mice in our tents thay will
bother a fellow so he cant sleep
[p.6]
read or any thing else in
the day time we get so mad
at them we all get up and drive
them all out but they come in
a gain we dont have any mos
quetoes out here I rather guess
you will hear that Baltomore
is burned with in a week but I
dont know if they get up a mob
it will [illegible] I dont think of
any more to write now but if
any thing worth of note happing
before morning I will write
morning the company has not come
back yet they will come to morrow
we have to to send down another
ration we live jest as we are
a mind to now we have jest
as much butter milk sugar and
evry thing we can get we had a
pail ful of lemonade given to
us today we shant drink it all
if some of don’t have some friend
come a long good bye from
Levi