Augusta County: William B. Gallaher to E. C. Gallaher, [undated]
Summary:
William B. Gallaher writes to his mother about his father's visit, his new commission, the
food in camp, his good behavior, his religious readings, getting his washing done, and
interactions with old acquaintances. He assures his mother that with the provisions sent from
home and gifts from the "country people" the soldiers "live very well."
E. C. Gallaher
Camp Clover Berkely Co VA at Hainsville
Dear Ma
Pa got here day before yesterday. I was very glad to see him. I did not look for him so soon. I am very glad to hear that you are all well & getting on so well. Ma I will get a commission as soon as Pa goes home & can send it to me. I will have no difficulty in getting it. Capt Patrick gave him the certificate. I am so much pleased at getting it & will try & do my duty. I will have a very good time & will get $70 or 80 dollars per month. The Capt told Pa that he wanted me to stay with him in his tent. I am very much obliged to you & Sallie for the provisions shirt you sent me & am happy to know that my mother don't forget her big boy as you sometimes call me. I read the tract you sent me & will read a portion of my Bible & the book Sallie put in my trunk everyday. I am very well & am as well satisfied as I could be under the circumstances. Of course I would like to be with you all & hope if spared by Providence to be at some future day I may get up in August to see you all. Cousin Joe Rawlins his wife Mollie & his little girl came down day before yesterday to see me & the Shepherdstown troop. They brought me a large basket of pies pound cake & rusks & said I must be sure & come up to see them. Mrs Rawlins says she would like to see you & Sallie. Mr Rawlins talked of taking Mrs Rawlins & Mollie up to see you. I told them to be sure and go especially if there was any danger here. I was introduced to Capt Morgan of Shepherdstown & Dr Ganns who is a Lieut in the same company. He said he would have never known that I was Billy Gallaher. I know a good many of the Shepherdstown Company. I was introduced to Oliver Sherman. I suppose you know him he is with Capt Morgan's Company. It seems almost like home to me. I see so many acquaintances here. There was Augusta Foot Companies came here yesterday. It is said the whole Augusta Regt. will be here today commanded by Col Hanger. Ned Waddell & John Lipscomb will be with them. Dr King has not arrived yet he stopped at the Ferry will be up in a day or two. There is some talk of us going to Shepherdstown soon but I don't know that it is so. We are all anxious to go there. Pa seems at home here he knows just near every person about here. He will leave tomorrow for Martinsburgh stay a day there & then go to Shepherdstown. He will stay two or three days & then go to the Ferry & from there home. I have as many clothes as I need this summer. I am glad to hear Clinton & Chas are doing so well. I think Clinton will make a business man if he will be attentive. We dont get much news here. We get the mail from the Ferry everyday or two it is brought up by our men on horseback. I get my washing done here at Hainsville. There is a daughter of Polly Millers near Darffields here. She is married. I dont know her husbands name but I think it is Kearney. She washes my clothes 5 cents for a shirt the same for drawers & she says she knows you well that she used to nurse me. I have no difficulty getting the washing done. James Irvine, Elliott Fishburne Virginia guys Norman Hanger Chas L Patterson & myself are in the same tent & I suppose Dr King will come in with us. We have the best behaved boys in the camps in our tent. Elliott is looking as well as ever. I will not have much use for my white pants they get dirty so soon but will keep them to wear when I call on the ladies. I got the other box of provisions & enjoyed them very much. The boys were wondering how my pies kept from moulding & I told them it was putting greased paper on them. We live very well. When we get in the country we go to the farm houses & get as much as we can eat. Some of the boys had strawberries given them by the country people. I will get some the next time I go out if I can. Ma you must excuse bad writing my paper is not ruled very well. I will write often to you. Write soon. Give my love to all kiss the little folks for me. Give my respect to all. God Bless you all.
Your affect son
W B Gallaher
