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Franklin County: David R. P. Shoemaker to Henry A. Bitner, February 22, 1863

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Feb. 22 '63

Camp near Nashville, Tennessee

Dear Henry:

Yours of the 18th ultimate is at hand,
having been forwarded from Somersville, Virginia; and I will
have to answer it in brief tonight, as we are under
marching orders for tomorrow morning at 3.30, and
I do not know when I shall have an opportunity
of writing again. Our destination is unknown to
your humble servant. I do not know of any regiment
in the service which has been moved about quite as much as
the "Gipsies," as General Wise used to call us.--
I am glad to hear that you are having good times
in old Southampton. Do not imagine that the
toils and privations of a soldier's life have made
such a misanthrope of me that hearing of those
good things you describe would cause "hard
thoughts." As far as wishing myself out of the
army is concerned I have wished it long ago,
but shall only get out honorably--either an honorable
discharge or death.

Give my "Best" to all the friends and especially remember me to "Katie darling." How I wish
that instead of lying down tonight with my cold
and bony masculine bedfellow, and being bothered
by those parasites which even poor soldiers have, I
could have the pleasure of folding -a-- what
in the Devil was I going to say? The tattoo

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has just commenced to beat, and I must close
as taps will beat in 15 minutes for "lights out".

Your old friend

D.R.P. Shoemaker

P.S. I think our destination is Cumberland
Ford, Kentucky.
D.R.P.S. P.P.S.- Carthage, Tenn. Feb. 28, 1863
We are here. Direct your letter via
Galatin, [deleted: Ky] Tennessee