Click here to see a scan of this letter.

Chester Hospital
Aug. 4th, 1864

Dear Brother,

Once more I am privileged with the opportunity of writing you a few lines for to inform you that I am here in the Hospital at Chester Station some three miles from where our Regt. is stationed on the line of Breast-works. I have been here some 12 days, I am a good deal better at this time than when I first came here. If I keep getting better, I will be able to go to the command in a short time. Our fare here has been very bad in some respects, I am doing better since I can get about I can look out a little for myself.

It is not necessary at present to enumerate the different kind of eatables we get here at the Hospital, but in a word it is quite scarse sure as you like. The room that I stay in is a very small one, and there is only three sick can stay in it, for which I am very glad that it so happened that I got in it, for where there are so many it is quite disagreeable.

I would have written to you when I was first taken but I thought I would not have a very bad spell (and which it has so turned out to be) and it would be of no use. Charles Johnson said he would write and tell you about me being sick. I have received a letter from you since I came to the Hospital, written the 11th of July & one from Archer & one from Branson Dye all at the same time. Those letters were all indeed welcome visitors to me, notwithstanding, I was sorry to hear of your bad health. But in a word I was glad to hear that you all were yet alive, and had not forgotten me, through afflictions and troubles are heaped upon you.

I will refrain from telling you of our hardhsips for the present, as I am weak and my mind is fleeting & of such things I do not like to write, not evey wne I am well. There has been no fighting on the line where our Division is for some length of time, there was a pretty much of a fight last saturday at Petersburg at the time that Grant blowed up a portion of our Breast-works there, but Grant was badly worsted after all his pains and troubl in blowing up those works.

I will say no more about the war as doubtless you get the most important points, if I could say something about the probabilities of Peace I could write with alacrity & delight although the papers speaks of the probability of peace before so very long. I have heard so much said about matters and things of the kind that I pay but little attention to them. But the time of peace in my opinion is drawing on, though I may not live to see that blessed day dawn upon the sunny South. But I do sincerely hope.

I will now close by committing you all to the tender mercies of a kind Providence. Tell Mother that I now fully appreciate a tender Mother, Oh! how often I have thought of her of late. Tell Jane "Howdy". Yours as ever.

H. W. Martin