Oscar Chapin - May 21, 1864 - Little Rock, AR

Little Rock Ark

May the 21st 1864

Dear Mother i take my pen in hand to answer your kind letter that i received yesterday i was glad to hear from you once more i am well at presant and hope that when these few lines comes to hand will find you enjoying the same blessing we are on detatched service guarding a garden that belongs to major chase we are haveing a fine time eating strawberys and every thing that is in the garden we have pleanty of onions to eat we have a room in the barn to stayin we have to bunks in it it is where the horseler did stay when he was here the over seeer lived the house and we had a dance at his house night before last there was seven young Ladies there and seventeen boys soldiers we had a good time i had the pleasure of danceing too times and then i had to go on guard and it broke up at 12 o clock and that is just the that i came off there two weddings cane off that night and i danced with one of the brides she was a very good looking young Lady there was a very nice respecttable crowd there. i have just finished the desk that i am a writing on it is made after the fashion of yours it makes me think i am at home i wish i was and this cruel war was over i think evry thing looks favorable in the east and if you would hear the true story you would not think that we was not looseing ground very much steel whiped the rebbles 125 miles south of here at Salene river and killed severel and capture four pieces of artilery and held the battle ground. we get a pleanty to eat now we drawed ten days rashions yesterday there is four of us here at this place wess Bensyl and tailor and Wm Williamson and my self and that consists the crowd Sol and James got 13 letters yesterday and I got one.

the Boys are all well and are a seeing a good time there has several of them gone out on a scout with four days rashion Phi is at camp he is well and as fat as ever we have not got our pay yet and i am flat broke and i have got four or five postage stamps yet i wish you would send me one dollars worth of stamps i think we will get our tay the first of next month but it wont get stamps here i got one dollars worth of stamps when we left Nashville and they are all gone now but five and this will take another and if that dont show that i have wrote a few letters i dont know what will i have wrote to some in the neighbor hood that will not answer them. i dont think Tom for once tell him that if he dont write to me he had better be leaveing father before fall or i will give him a going over

give my love to all inquireing friends so no more from Oscar Chapin