Elisha Marion Handby Letter#2

Camp near Lewisville
June the 16th 1865
Dear Parents,
I seat myself this warm sultry day while I have nothing else to do, to Inform you of my health 
in general.  I am well and in good spirits at present and hope these few lines will find you all
enjoying good health and prosperity.   Yesterday we moved camp and marched about 10 miles
this camp is only three miles from Lewisville   now the other was about eight miles before the 
City of Lewisville   we are encamped on a very nice piece of woods pasture   plenty of good 
water to drink  Which is the main thing.
 Well, Papa, I suppose you would like to kow [sic] of what way I spent my money that you sent me
well I will tell in the first place I spent it very foolish   part of it, while marching 
yesterday we passed a half way house on the road our regiment Stoped their [sic] to let the boys
rest and get a drink, their [sic] was a public pump in the road the boys crowded around it  so 
like bees around a hive and I went around the house to look for some but found nothing but a 
little watered beer which took twenty cents of my money or my $1   So when I got to Lewisville I
stoped in a house and got me a pie which cost twenty cents   That left me sixty cents   So
coming out from Lewisville I bought ten cents worth of onions So this morning I went to the --
sutters to get me some paper and envelopes and they had none   I stood around there awhile when 
my eye caught sight of a piees [sic] of navy tobacco about the size of a twenty five cent shin 
plaster which left me a quarter out of my dollar  which I guess I can make out with until I get
home which I think will not be long the talk is that all the drafted men are going to get 
discharged furloughs sooner or later.  There is some men here that come with me that sent a note
to a certain lawyer in Indiania [sic] to try and get us out under that order that was isued the
next day after we was sent from Camp Carrington which he thinks he can do they are to give him 
five hundred dollars which they proposed to do if every man throws in that came at that time it 
won’t take but a dollar to the man,    for my part I think he will succeed for they got a letter
from him stating that he had made it all right with governor Morten and then was going on to 
Washington City to see the State agent about it   I think he will take us out if nothing else 
does by the first of July for the most of these drafted men are very deeply interested in it. 
Some of them have big wheat crops which they would like to get home to take care of.  Mother, I 
want you to have me a clean suit of clothes to put on by the time I get home for those I have
are pretty well knited [?] or in other words they have some few graybacks on them.  Give my 
respects to all and my love to you  
                             E. M. Hanby
                Comp. F 53 Reg Ind. vol Inft 4 div. 1st brigade 17A.C.
      Camp near Lewisville