I recd your letter
two days ago. I am happy to inform
you that I am now only a citizen.
I was mustered out of the service &
ceased to be a soldier on the 13^th inst.
The officers are mustered out as soon
as their time expires but the men have
to wait till the last co. is out which is
on the 22^nd and then all be mustered out
together. I have got the mustered out
of Co "K" to make properly to [---?] over
&c. This will take me two days. But
I shall wait and go with the men. I
dont think it looks well for an officer to
go off and leave his men.
We shall leave City Point one week from
today & can get home the next Wednesday

But I shall be in Raymond in season
to vote for Lincoln & Johnson.
Eight of our officers have gone or are going
home. Maj Cross is more in command
of the Regt. The men I went serve under[?].
We got 135 more recruits last week
making nearly 500 in all. 50 of them
have deserted to the enemy within
two weeks & many more will go the
first opportunity—we are known all
through the Army now as the regt that
has so many desertions to the enemy,
I am glad I didn’t belong to it any
more.

We are here in Fort Steadman, nearer
the city than any other point in our
line, it is not over 100 yds from a rebel
fort. It dont do to show a head above
the works on account of them [----?].
The rebs have several batteries

that [---?] on it & Fort Clifton
on the other side of the river can
give us a raking fire. It is an
awful hot place when they get
to shelling us they do nearly every
night but we have bomb proofs
which with the chances make us
pretty secure.

I hear that Capt. Tillin & Lieut Cram[?]
are on their way out here. I shall go
to the 11^th before I go home to see them
& Capt. Shepard.

We are having beautiful weather now
clear cool, excellent for operations
and I begin to wonder why the Army
dont move us all citizens also.
I must close now probably I shall not write
to you again from the Army. I will visit
Rye as soon as possible after I get home.
All the men I have to go home with [--?]
is G.P. [---?] & [---?] of Raymond Clark
of Greenland & Cummings of Plaistow