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as the good of the service does not require that an assistant should be appointed to supply Doct. Palmers place--

My health is now pretty fair though I am growing old two years in one and am anxious not to be broken down entirely. Much is said in the papers about some of the Maine regiments-- ours is rarely spoken of for which I feel thankful as we do not desire praise and think we don't deserve censure. We have but four men in Hospital and only those much sick--but there are about forty in the regiment unfit for duty most of whom are either new recruits or have recently returned from General Hospital wounded or sick with chronic diseases as to the recruits sent since July about seventy five, less than thirty are now fit for duty. The large bounty paid was in my judgment not only [?] of money but a curse to the service. I am making an effort to get discharges for those unfit for service or being worse than useless. We have not [ ] a [ ] in Regimental Hospital since about the middle of last June when we were floundering in the swamps of Chickahominy--