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tell him for me that he will find a chaing in thing all around in living & heardships which he would haf to undergo marching day & night without food & sleep & the soul sickning sight beside the dangers of the battlefield all is hard & dangerous & it requires an iron constitusion to stand it but I as yet have not sean anything more than I expected when I left so I am not disapointed. Tell him situated as he is to stay at home I did not start for plaisure but to do a duty to my country & that duty I shall have a chance to do much sooner than most of the rest after they enlisted. We expect to have a hard fight yet befour they are drove out of Maryland. We now are having a smart shower now & I haf to flee under one of the caissons. That is a caridg which is used to carry ammunision in and here I try to write on my lap [illegible word] not much such privelidges as I was to have at home but it is as good as I expect whilst I am out hear and when you are enjoying all of the Blessing of a good home & the attensions of some nise young Spark remember that it is for home & friends that we are deprived of them & dairing the Dangers which seem to you in our [several illegible words] quiet but I must draw to a close for I come to the bottom did I have time I would write more but I think hear is as much as you care to read.

Goodbye until I hear from you again from your true friend Chas R Brown First Maine Battery, Banks Div., Washington DC

Mary H Gates