Original Civil War 14th New Hampshire letter talking about Rebels, slight battle content, and Black Women around camp. 
 By permission allow 
me to write you a few lines as a friend
my health is very good and has ben since
I left home and hope you are enjoying the
same I find this ware life a complete slaves
life when we left Concord we moved direct
to Washington there we stopt three or four
days and then startid for the place we
now are at This place is situated on the
Chesapeak and Ohio canal about twenty
miles from Washington on the Potomac
river and we think we may take up our
winter quarters here there is plenty of rebels
on the oposit side of the river we see small
squads of them almost every day there
was a foretty smart fight yestoday and
the day before in the vicinity of Harpers Ferry. They we think as we heard a continual
roar of Cannon and smaller arms
and the rumor this morning is that
the fight was between McLellan and Lee
and that the rebels drove Lee back four or
five miles we have not got the facilities
for getting the earliest war news that you
have I think you could post us up on the
war matters better than we can you so I
will stop I hope when you get this imper-
fect scrabble you will just sit down and
write me a good long letter there is nothing that does me so much good as to hear from my friends that I left behind it seems almost
like I was having an interview with as I
used to at those pleasant homes I received a
letter from your Dear sister Eulalia the
other day and was very thankful that
she took the trouble to write ask her if she
will not write me again soon I am now sitting on a stump and writing on the top of my cap
which I think an enviable position to what
some of us have but we are determined to make the best of our lot if I could just
call in to your hospitable home and spend
a few hours as happily as I have don I wou[ld]
give almost any thing by the way Eulalia
writes you are making repairs I wonder
if there is a going to be a Wedding there soon
if so I hope it will be for the good of all
concerned when you make your choice of a
Partner for life use your very best judgment
as you will find that to be the crowning
act of your life for fear you may think
I am wasting advice I will stop where I
am pleas give my love to your Father and
mother Eulalia and all enquiring friends
tell your Father to write me I should
be very happy to have him do so and
do not fail to write your self and plea[s]
write often do not wait for me to write
as we have not the time nor convenien[ce]
for writing if you should go over to
Hinsdale I hope you will call on my
wife and Sarah give my love to Mr.
Goold tell him to write me Eulalia​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ writes that you had a Sabbath School celebration at Whitheads Hall did you have a good time I hope you did I would liked to have bin there but our selevrations are of a different stamp. I have not seen but one White woman since I came to this place but there is plenty black ones here they come around the camp as thick as bees with milk Pies apples & we have to pay 10 cts for quart for milk 25 cts for pies that your hogs would turn there noses up at apples 3 for 5 cts such as you would make into cider and other things in proportion by the time you get here you will be tared and I will close excuse the numerous errors again allow me to urge you to write often so good by yours in Hast
John Amsden
NB please direct your letters to John
Amsden Washington D C
14 NH V Co A