War Letters,
Spanish American War

"Jack"

"In a log in the Foster forest"

My Dear Girl;

As I am off duty today & feeling tollerably good I'll do the right thing (I think) by making an effort to reply to your very interesting welcome letter which came to hand about 10:30 today, I know Jennie this is very sudden but I believe the more "suddener" they are the better you like it, especially in regard to answering letters.

Jennie you write as if you had heard something about the condition of the "Boys in Blue" so "being as who you air" I'll give the story straight as to the state of affairs at Camp alger, or that portion where the 22^nd Kansas Volunteer Infantry is quartered. The trouble started two weeks ago yesterday (Tues), that being the day on which we soldiers were worked on by the Surgeons with their "Virus" painted points which they used so it would surely "leek". The sick call gained every day with about the 8^th when it broke the record as on that morn, there was in round numbers 500 of our reg. (Your royal "highness" being one of 'em) most of the army had become considerably irritated & the Surgeons & attendants had their hands full for a few hrs. placing bandages & doling out quinine & black pills. The most of the Reg. had just such a time for 4 or 5 days, sore arms hot weather & warm water which was very muchly vexed with vinegar & devel-ish hard & long drilling succeeded in getting so many of the boys down that when it come our time to do guard duty, we had to ask the aid of 2 other companies, not having over 25 well men in our Co. In the eve. when our Reg. lined up for dress Parade this Major rode down along the line & directly back with a rather disgusting smile over spreading his countenance he informed each Capt. to dismiss his "squad;" wouldn't even call them companies. Our Co. is doing duty all by [?] lone today so you see they are much better. I drilled this morn an hour & a half the 1^st I had done for about 15 days my arm was at one time just as round & plump as yours is now but Oh how sore it was & is yet for several nights it wouldn't let me rest a moment, it made my head seem like it would burst & every bone in my body ached & I can tell you that the bed that is furnished by Uncle Sam & Mother Earth did not materially lessen the aches or ease our frame of mind... We sign our payroll this P.M. get paid tomorrow. Just rec'd our dog tents (just large enough for 2 men) we were also reliably informed that we were to start tomorrow morn at 5 for a practice march to the Potomac river 15 miles away to be gone about 2 days, you can look for more h-l then because I know what a march like that means as every thing is in a "hurry" & lots to do I'll simply subscribe myself as

Your Old Lover

"Jack"

I send plenty of love & Kisses

I may not get to go out on acc't of my arm TaTa

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