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https://micivilwar.com/authors/sharp-james-w/
Regiment: 6th Michigan Cavalry
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures:
Freedom Hill Fairfax Co. Va.
April 27th, 1863
Dear Parents,
I received a letter from you a few days ago and I am going to try and write a
few lines in response thereto, but I think that I shall not write but a few. I was sorry to
hear that you were both rather poorly. I have not any news to write this time any more
than what has transpired among ourselves for the last two or three weeks, for you see by
the heading that I am not in Camp at present, for we are out doing picket duty, and I think
that it is one of hardest duty that is imposed on a soldier, for we have to turn out rain or
shine, and when we come in at night we do not know whether we can stay in or not.
Although it seems as though there is not any danger here, but we are all new hands at the
business and almost every night someone raises an alarm and we will have to turn out to
support the pickets. We have been here 16 or 17 days and I have not seen a Rebel yet. We
are doing duty on the line of pickets that runs from the Potomac to the Rappahannock. I
have not seen George since the morning that we left Camp, for the Regt. was divided into
two or three detachments one going one way and another the other. I sent the letter that I
received from you and one that I got from Emily a week ago to him yesterday by Lieut.
Pallard of Co. A. You must excuse my writing so poorly this time for I had to borrow a pen
this morning because I cannot use my gold pen with the ink that I have for it is so thick
that it will not flow from a gold pen, and the one that I am using is just like using a stick to
me. I was glad to have Ellen to me and when I have more time I will write one to her but I
have two or three letters on hand to answer now, and no convenience for writing. I have
enjoyed the best of health ever since I left Washington, but I have been out in all kinds of
weather. I have had nothing but the ground to lay on, last week I did not get but one
night’s sleep in the whole week. Our living consists mostly of hard bread and pork, with a
little coffee and sugar. It is very pleasant day today. The peach trees are in full bloom
here now and look as though they would be a big crop. I should think that it must be
natural for peaches here for there is a tree in almost every corner of the fence and I have
seen them even in the woods.
I have got another pen but I do not whether it is any better or not. I have just been
signing a pay roll again and expect to get a little money either tonight or in the morning.
We will not get but two months pay or twenty six dollars. You said that you
had bought that piece of land but you do not say what time you have to pay for it in or
what interest you have to pay nor you did not say how you want me to pay for my part of
it, but I guess that there will not be any trouble about that for I think that I shall have the
money as soon as you want it. I wish that it was a little nearer to a market but I guess that
I can get along with that. I shall want to let somebody have a job to clear and fence off five
or ten acres this winter with the privilege of cropping of it next summer and if I have it
done, I shall have the money to pay with which is some object now a days. I cannot write
much more at present and hoping that this will find you all as well as it leaves me. I
remain your affectionate son,
James Wm. Sharp
Co. H. 6th Mich. Cav.
Washington D.C.
