1863-08-05 letter from James Thitchener to his aunts

              Due to the difficult nature of Thitchener's writing,
the edited transcription will follow the literal transcription.




Sanitary Commission                                                                                                                                                                                                           Augst  the 5 1863                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Camp of Convalescent Alexandria
Va dear ants it has ben a long time
sincs i hav  wrote to you the reson
i hav not written be is becus
i did not git at it well i hav
ben trying for fore months to
be sick well i hav complaing 
with my brest and left side and
back sum days i am quite
smart then i git down again
i hav got weak and poor and i
donte git eney thing to eat
that dus me eney good i hav
plenty of good dry bred and
pork and beeaf and that dus
not do for me but i hav 
got to take up with what i can
git and the wether is very



August the 5, 1863
Camp of Convalescent, Alexandria, VA
Dear aunts,
It has been a long time
since I have wrote to you. The reason
I have not wrote is because
I did not get at it. Well, I have 
been trying for four months to
be sick. Well, I have complained
of my breast and left side and
back. Some days I am quite
smart, then I get down again.
I have gotten weak and poor and I
don’t get anything to eat
that does me any good. I have
plenty of good, dry bread and
pork and beef and that does
not do for me, but I have
got to take up with what I can
get. And the weather is very