Bristoe Station, Va.
Aug 19, 1863

KP2025.001.069

No. 48
Bristo [Bristoe] Station Va Aug 19th 1863
Dear Brother & Sister
I received a letter yesterday mailed the 15th & the day before one from Silas & Harriet mailed the 14th one was No. 43 all right. I am just getting better from a short spell of bilious affection or choleramorbus [cholera morbus]. I was pretty sick a couple of days but I think I will be in fighting trim in a few days again. I received the list of drafted that you enclosed but I see there are several that will be rejected & I suppose another draft will be made to replace them. Our Division is near this station now. We have no pickets across the river. I hear that our army is falling back towards Washington. Our regiment has just got two months more pay. I am getting tired waiting for the reckoning up of our account. I am not dunning for pay for cows that you have sold, but I want to know just how affairs are so I can make arrangements about paying that Bond Mortgage when or before its due. I expect I shall have to borrow some & its time I know how much I shall have to have to hire. I have forgotten whether Ross is all paid up or not. I think with what I’ve sent home & what the cows will bring that it will more than pay all debts except the Mortgage & Aunt Lydia. Does you Brother-in-law Wm. conclude to take my wagon. Perhaps I shall get a letter answering all that I ask here before you get this. If I do you need not consider yourselves scolded but if not, you can. I hear cannon this morning. Don’t know whether its fighting or not. Our Squadron went on picket yesterday morn for 2 days, but I was left in camp. Was not able to go but I think now if an order to march should come that I should try and go. Joseph is out on picket. He wants to write to you but he has had no time since he returned to the regt. & while he was away he had no paper & no money to buy any. I have got a lot of paper of a sutler now but I am most out of stamps. Please send some. We begin to have green corn here. Day before yesterday Bill Rectors son of the 154th came to see us. He is well and tough twas him instead of Thomas Stotts that Joseph & I saw in Gettsyburgh [Gettsyburg] I have heard lately that Clark Dexter died the same day Melissa did. If I had a hat I would like a rubber cord. I don’t know whether you will succeed in sending a hat by mail now or not. If you don’t you can send it with some boots by and by in an express box that I shall order when I get good ready for it. Then my little dam did get noticed in the late freshet did it, well if it needs a new one and you can tend to it and make a good one, do it, Wm. & I’ll stand to your back till your belly caves in.
F Kimball Pearsons
To Wm. & Family
[envelope]
Mr. Wm H. Press
Gowanda Catt. Co
N.Y.
[envelope reverse]
#48
Bristo Sta Aug 19 63

KP2025.001.070

No. 49
Catlett’s Station Va. Aug 23d 1863
Dear Friends at Home
I have no letter from you to reply to this morning but I have a desire to commune with you this bright lovely morn and by letter is the only way. I will improve the means I have, hoping that at some future time we may be seated together in a social family circle in old Collins town. Wm. if you & I could only change places for a week how nice it would be. I wish you could see some more of Soldiering than you ever have, if you could only see a corps or Division in the field twould be a sight for you. We are having a hot time now but we are in camp in a nice second growth oak & hickory grove as good a place as we could well be in. There is no signs of any general move at present. There is papers here for sale every day & Sutlers a plenty close by. Samuel D. Morrell of Collins accidentally shot himself while cleaning his pistol through his left hand. He has gone to a Hospital and I think he will get a furlough. I lent him twenty dollars & if he don’t get a furlough so as to come and pay it to you himself he is going to write to his Father & have him pay it to you sometime in the course of next month. If Sam should come there treat him to the best the house & farm affords & show him my grey horse if he is not sold & every thing else that you’ve got that’s nice. I will also send you twenty dollars in this letter & when you get that from Samuel & ten more twill make fifty & I guess that’s all I can spare this time; this Harriet is to go towards paying you & if you have the luck to sell the grey horse I can manage I think to pay you all up next January. Our mail comes in now in the afternoon & I am not going to send this to day, wait & see if I don’t get a letter from you. This will get to you just after the three days meeting & perhaps find its way home while you are gone there. I hope you may have a good time & return prepared to give me the details in full of what transpired. [sideways] I hope I shall get another letter soon for May did not write in your last.
Sulphur Springs Aug 27th.
Here am I the south side of the river again. I got a letter from you in the afternoon that I commenced this as I anticipated & then I thought I would keep it another day & see if I got a letter but we were routed in the morning of the 24th at 3 oclock & our Division marched back across the river & are now picketing & scouting. Our Squadron which is Co. H & L went immediately on picket near Oak Glade Church. We stayed out two days & then were relieved by a Squadron of the 1st Me & came back to the reserve which lay about a mile and a half from the river & when I got here last night I found a letter No. 44 for me, a Gowanda paper, a package of paper & envelopes, handkerchief, tape & a hat, all of which I am well pleased with. The hat is just right I could not get a better fit myself. I had not heard before that Lucius Walden was wounded. Yes that about how far I had travelled in my old diary is as I wanted it. I have not worn out Mothers Silk Handkerchief. I have not used it scarcely any I shall bring it home if I come. I got one in Elmira that I’ve used. I suppose by you sending me a receipt of $100 that Sheldon has paid for the mare but you said nothing about it about the dam. Wm do as you think best about mending the old one or building a new one but if you build a new one be sure and make it tight & strong suit yourself as to the style of it & flume & spout &c &c. What was the Postage on my hat & the package of paper & there was no stamps on them & I suppose you paid the postage there. I will write in Joe’s a little for I see he has not used the whole sheet.
Kimball
[sideways first page] We draw all the pepper now that we want.
[envelope]
Mr. Wm H. Press
Gowanda Catt. Co.
N.Y.