1864 October 4th, Elmira Barracks No. 1

Dear Mother

I very gladly
embrace this opportunity to write
you a few lines.  I will send
this by Jennie, and will by this
means get her over to tell you
all about us here, and how
we are progressing.  Jennie will
bring to you the key to my
satchel which I expressed home
the other day,  it will come by
express as far as Bremlins [?] Station,
it will probably be left at Hodges,
by the stage driver.  Please send
down for it, pay for it and I will
make it all right with you:
put the clothes where they will


p.2
be kept all right, perhaps I will
come back again sometime to use
them, but if it is destined othewise
give them to some one's boy, who
has gone to the war.

Jennie tells me that you are
quite low -spirited. I  ^'am' very sorry to hear
it.  I hope you will keep up your
spirits, remember it is only for one
year; I have been in the best of
health thus far, and haven't been
lonesome at all.  I suppose it is
because I have been a good deal
priviledged, I have got passes from
the officers every day to go down
town, which has broke the monotony
of camp life.  There is a camp of
12000 rebel Prisoners here.  I
was up to see them the other
day.  They are a ragged set of fellows. They tell me that about
30 die daily; it is too much of
a story to believe.  Last eve,
[p.3]
Major Birdseye came back from
Albany.  He brought with him John
Morse's wife, Nat Ecker, Marcia
Watch, Jennie Bursit [?] Hand also
came with his intended.  I procured a
pass and went down, and had a
fine visit with them.  Dr. Loomis &
Lady and Mr. Shoemaker are here
also.  Gov. Seymour has sent Gen.
Stoneman here to adjust the
difficulty between the officers, he is
all sound and we think it will
be all right.  I have got my stripes
and chevrons on and am the
Quarter Master Sergt. of Co. H, 2nd
N.Y. Cav.  Cameron pubically
withdrew again before all the boys
and officers  he is going to draw
a private's univorm, and go in with
us.  he says he was disgusted with
the other copperhead officers.  Please
excuse this as the boys are quite
noisy.  From Your Affect. Son
Hervey.
[written in side margin on page 3:]
I will write to you when we get at Washington.  We shall
go today or tomorrow. H.E.E.

Elmira Prison established in five months previously in  May, 1864, for enlisted men. Facilities were vastly inadequate...Death rate was around 5 per cent a month.  Boatner, Civil War Dictionary.

Governor Horatio Seymour (1810-1886), a leading Democrat nationally; ran against U.S. Grant for the presidency in 1868. 

Major General George Stoneman (1822-1894)  The West Point roommate of Stonewall Jackson, later famous for raids in Virginia and North Carolina including one in which he freed 1400 Union prisoners held at Salisbury.