Letter
Transcription:
"Eagle Hill, Sept. 24/ 61"
"I received your kind leter baring date of 16. Was verry glad to heer from you and heer fro(?) that you well. I received a leter from DHL. She wrote that _J was verry sick with the fever though it a doutful case if he recovers. I hope that the next mail will fetch me a leter stating that he is getting well but I feer it will be that he is gon to the land of the sperrits. If it is gods will to take him why should I murmer. I should not but since I herd that he was so sick I havnot slept seers (?) enny perhaps that I mid hav slept better but I am quite sick myself. I expect to come home next weak if I am not beter but I haap that I shall bee better soon fore thare would not bee mutch fun in cumming home sick for the goverment is obliged to pay mi bills unless thay discharge me from the rigement. I will cloas by wishing you good by, this from AE Lapham to his sister HH Lapham, Derect to AE Lapham Co. D, 5 Rig., ME, Alaxandria, VA, Pleas write soon"
written on unlined bi-fold paper with the upper half of the front page taken up by a woodcut portrait of General George B. McClellan in black inside an oval frame of alternating red stripes and blue stars, blue spread eagle at top of frame with E PLURIBUS UNUM banner, crossed US flag and muskets with wreath and banner at bottom, wreath reads "Gen'1 McClellan"; folded, slightly soiled and yellowed on front and back pages.
L 20.5, W 12.5 cm
Gettysburg National Military Park, GETT 27706