Samuel Myers letter

1862 LETTER TO GEORGE KNIESS FROM SAMUEL MYERS OF COMPANY H, PA 102ND REGIMENT.

(George was the father of Lewis Kniess)

Camp Tennally Jan the 3, 1862 Washington DC
Friend George
I take this present opportunity of writing you a letter. To let you know that I received a letter from you the 30th day of Jan. I am well and all the rest of the Boys I should have wrote you a letter before this time but George we have been very busy Since we came to the army that it was impossible to write all a letter that wanted me to write. You know George the luck must have won about every week or else it won’t do they are more peculiar than the Boys are. Well George I hardly know what to write the news is Scarce here. we have had no good news for more than a week back what we call good news I would like to see things move faster but You nor I can’t make the army move any faster it is the great power above that will make the great army move.
I would like to see it go on a little faster than it has done for the last too or three weeks. we are all waiting patiently for the move that will be made along the potomac. I hope it will be Successful (scribbled out ly) when we move and long to see it move. there is about seventy thousand laying? on the other Side of the potomac waiting for the order to move. we are on this side waiting for the order So that when we go we won’t go alone. We are laying about five miles from the reserves on this side of the river. while they are on the other side of the river on the road that leads to drainsville and onward to Senterville??
I have not been over to see them yet. Some of the Boy have been over our Company Robert Hays is going across tomorrow. I think I shall go along that is if I …?? go P? Father landed here on last wednesday. He came to our Camp thursday morning he likes Camp very well. he is down at Washington today. he was down last Saturday he thinks a great deal of Washington. there is a great deal to see in Washington it takes one about 3 days to see all that. …he wants to ???? well George we have a rite good time here I have not been down at Washington Since I came to the army. I wint to gn down this week if I can get a pass. no one gets out of Camp without a pass. If anyone goes out without a pass he is put in the guardhouse. Only one gets a pass at a time out of a Company.
it is Snowing here today we have had a great deal of snow and rain here this winter our Church was dedicated yesterday. the church is not built with brick nor wood but it is made out of canvas it cost one hundred and Seventy five dollars it was a pretty dear church to be in the regiment. the means was raised by the regiment. to buy this tent for to have preaching and prayer meetings. I think it will do good in the regiment. Our Colonel gave twenty five dollars to getting the tent the lieu Colonel twenty dollars. Major twenty. So You see that they want to do good in their regiment as well as drill their regiment for to do good. I think it was a very good idea to get something started in the regiment in the Shape of religion. our Chaplain and another Chaplain from the 13th reg Penn Vo was present at dedication it is a pretty large tent there can get in about one hundred we get tracts of all kinds papers of all kinds. So You See we are not with out something to read. There is a commilly (?) appointed to tend to things the tent is used as a reading room. kept warm all day and any body that wants to can go and spend an our (sic) or too reading a good book or and newspaper.
Well George I must soon bring my letter to a close You told me in your letter that Mr. Young was slightly aquainted (sic) at our house. I don’t know how that is. George I think you will have to see to that you know. well I must close my letter hoping to hear from you again. I want to write Jacob a letter this evening you will have to excuse me for not writing sooner ??? The Boys all sends their best respects to you. Pvt. Hays sends his bests respects to you hoping that you will speak a good word to the girls for him Respectively Yours Samuel Myers to George Kniess.

Samuel Myers was wounded at the battle of Fair Oaks and died in June 16, 1862.

Samuel's death is mentioned in the June 24th entry J .B. Martin's 1862 Diary