Letter - William Hoyt to Wife Phebe Campbell 1864-10-10

[Note: Wm. Hoyt was a Private in Co. H, 275th Regiment, PA Vols. The original letter was copied by William and Phebe's granddaughter, Jessica HOYT Thompson, perhaps in the 1950s, and transcribed by her son, William Thompson. We tried to preserve the original grammar and spelling, which was somewhat erratic. Jessica wrote the following comment on her copy:

"This must have been written right after he got in the army. After awhile there was not an able bodied man left on all the farms of Farmington Hill [in Farmington Twp., Tioga Co., PA-wbt] except one 'simple minded' (as my grandmother always said) giant who went from one family to another and did their grains, cut down trees for wood, etc. that the women couldn't do. My grandfather was in the Army of the Potomac which spent months just camping in the Washington army amid need & disease waiting to fight. One of his letters tells how so many of the homesick young soldiers deserted that winter that they had this big hanging & all the Companies were called to watch it. He also told toward the last when they were in Virginia of hundreds of rebels giving up hope and deserting after the North took Petersburg, etc. Am going to see if I can decipher some more letters & if I do will give you copies."

Once more I am seated in my cabin with my pencil in hand to write your answer to your much loved letter. I am well at present & hope this will find you as well as I. You may think it strange that I write every time with pencil but it is a hard matter to have ink here & when we do it is a hard matter to keep them. I bought me a portfolio to keep my papers & envelopes in. I was down to the hospital this morning and about eight thousand men sick and wounded. You can not put down your finger without you will find some one in there.

I got you and Joe's picture yesterday which made me think of home. There will not be many days that I shall not see it, the picture. I think Joe's looks more natural than yours. I have heard nothing of my photographs since I left Harrisburg but hope to get them soon. You said the water in the well was bad. You must get some one to draw the water out & clean it out then I think it will be good again. You must keep Joe away from the well. You must not let anyone draw wood off the farm except Sam without Rogers wants to draw once in a while for logs. Tell me what Beever [sic] is going to do and how Mary is getting along and all the particulars. I want you to let Sam work the land. We have not seen Jim Simonds yet. John paid me the money on that note in Harrisburg and I wrote him a receipt. You had better keep the old rooster and kill the young ones and eat them. I would not want those ten roosters. Your geese you had better kill and save the feathers & sell that [illegible] to Lug [sic] as soon as it gets old enough.

You say you think that I am home sick. I would give anything to see you & Joe but I dare not get home sick for a minute. You must not worry about me for I have a good place. I have been detailed to go with the Doctors so I have no shooting to do. I have it very easy. You must not work so hard. You had better get some boy that you can trust to do the chores. You must be careful of yourself. When I draw my pay I will send you the money and you must pay Stanton. I will tell you more about it next time. See E. Knapp and get that money from his note. Write as soon as you get this and tell me all.