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I transcribed the letter my mother has that was written by my great-great grandfather, Sebring VanNortwick of Co. "E", 75th NY Volunteer Infantry. Here is the transcription, including his own misspellings, run-on sentences, and grammar. Interestingly enough, his handwriting is pretty decent...
"Camp Reno Brashear City
March 11th 1863
Dear Sister it is with pleasure that I take my pen in hand to inform everyone that I take my pen in hand to write you a few lines to let you know that I am gd hope that these few lines will find you the same. Brother Frank is well. I received your letter yesterday bearing date of feb. 22th. I was glad to hear from you & to hear that you was well & in Joying yourself as well this you must be very steady this winter evry of the partys when they are so numerous. I think that if I was their I would try and go to as much as are there to see how it would seem. I would think that the would would come to an end double quick. You wanted to know what made me look so mad you know that a soldier has a good caus to look mad. A soldier has to be sober when he is in the ranks & if he so happens as to smiles they send him to the guard house so you see that it stands us in hand to look sober. I have been been a soldier so long that it has become second nature for me to look sober. If I am not home before long you will be afraid of me when I come I will look so mad. You won’t know Frank when he comes home for all of his face will be covered with whiskers. That mustack that you speke about has got quite a start he is quite a deal the oldest as much as five years. Tell Uncle Wier that I am a cleaning up my gun I have just come off of guard & my gun is some rusty. Tell him not to when he is a sleep by the stove the next time you write he must not dreem so loud that the flees on Santa Rosy Island heard him & had the guard travel out they thought that the Rebels was a coming. Tell Uncle & Aunt that they must write to me I would be very glad to read a letter from them. Give my best wishes to them & all of the rest of the folks. I think the folks are in ahurry to get married in that part of the country. If the girls are not all gone when I get back I will try my luck in marrying if they are all gone I will will come back here there is aplenty of them here and to spare. I think that you are about to step off by the way you talk it is the way the girls all talk. We all may take what they say right conterrerey to what they say. Want you to let me know in time to come to the weding. The Farmersville boys are all well. You must write as soon as you get this. The fruit trees are all in bloom it is like May at home. The birds are a singing as sweet as if their was no war. The planters are a plowing and are all ready for planting. We have got our barrel it was all as nice as it could be the express had been paid as far as NY. Their it was to come in Quartermaster Tompkins but it did come all of the way by express so you see that it cost some thing but that was most eny thing. We are all in good health.
Good bye
Sebring Vannortwick"
"Camp Reno Brashear City
March 11th 1863
Dear Sister it is with pleasure that I take my pen in hand to inform everyone that I take my pen in hand to write you a few lines to let you know that I am gd hope that these few lines will find you the same. Brother Frank is well. I received your letter yesterday bearing date of feb. 22th. I was glad to hear from you & to hear that you was well & in Joying yourself as well this you must be very steady this winter evry of the partys when they are so numerous. I think that if I was their I would try and go to as much as are there to see how it would seem. I would think that the would would come to an end double quick. You wanted to know what made me look so mad you know that a soldier has a good caus to look mad. A soldier has to be sober when he is in the ranks & if he so happens as to smiles they send him to the guard house so you see that it stands us in hand to look sober. I have been been a soldier so long that it has become second nature for me to look sober. If I am not home before long you will be afraid of me when I come I will look so mad. You won’t know Frank when he comes home for all of his face will be covered with whiskers. That mustack that you speke about has got quite a start he is quite a deal the oldest as much as five years. Tell Uncle Wier that I am a cleaning up my gun I have just come off of guard & my gun is some rusty. Tell him not to when he is a sleep by the stove the next time you write he must not dreem so loud that the flees on Santa Rosy Island heard him & had the guard travel out they thought that the Rebels was a coming. Tell Uncle & Aunt that they must write to me I would be very glad to read a letter from them. Give my best wishes to them & all of the rest of the folks. I think the folks are in ahurry to get married in that part of the country. If the girls are not all gone when I get back I will try my luck in marrying if they are all gone I will will come back here there is aplenty of them here and to spare. I think that you are about to step off by the way you talk it is the way the girls all talk. We all may take what they say right conterrerey to what they say. Want you to let me know in time to come to the weding. The Farmersville boys are all well. You must write as soon as you get this. The fruit trees are all in bloom it is like May at home. The birds are a singing as sweet as if their was no war. The planters are a plowing and are all ready for planting. We have got our barrel it was all as nice as it could be the express had been paid as far as NY. Their it was to come in Quartermaster Tompkins but it did come all of the way by express so you see that it cost some thing but that was most eny thing. We are all in good health.
Good bye
Sebring Vannortwick"
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