Letter written by George W. Pearl, private in the 117th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment, Company C and F, to his father and mother of Clinton, New York, from Elmira, October 25, 1863: a machine readable transcription

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PAGE IMAGEElmira (Elmira, New York) Oct 25/63
Dear Father & Mother

I arrived at Elmira all
safe & sound at 11. P.M.
Monday night. I presume
you will wonder why I have
written before. The reason
is I have had nothing of
any importance to write
about, or have I now.
It is getting to be rather cold
weather and I wouldnt care
if I were in a little warmer
climate or in better quarters
I dont know what we shall
do about staying here or going
to the Regt. there two reports
circulating One is that

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four enlisted men & two officers out of each detachment
are going back to ther (their) respective
Regts and two enlisted men
& one officer are to stay &
recruit, and the other is that
the detatchmens (detachments) from the Regts
that have recd men are to
go back & those that have
not will stay here all winter.
I am anxous (anxious) to know which
way we will be sent. (not
that I care) for I had a lives
be sent one way as the other)
But then I would like to
know for certain. When I
arrived here I found a letter
awating (awaiting) me from John. G.
in which he sent me his
Photograph which I should
want to loose (lose) for nothing

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I send it with this
No more at present
My love to all and a
good share for yourselves

From your son G. W Pearl