A letter to his parents from Ft. Monroe, VA. Responds to a letter he just received from his parents. Informs them that he is not detailed to the officers mess hall and that with two months left on his three year contract. He is "perfectly" happy.
Chesapeake Genl Hospital
Near Fortress Monroe Va.
July 23rd 1864
Dear parents
I now take my pen in hand to acknowledge the receipt of your kind and welcome letter of the 19th (which came to hand to day) it found me well as usual and I hope this will find you on the mend. I am doing pretty well here now. I am detailed in the Officers Mess room where I do not have to work very hard and get my good which you know is of the most consequence to a soldier as long as he can get his he is right. I commence at 5 in the morning and work till about 9 in again 1/2 past 7 in the evening.
Thank kind fortune I am on the last two months of three years service and in a fair way for a discharge an honorable one too I hope. The weather here is awful hot one day and cold the next. We have had a little rain for the last week before that it was awful dry. I don't want you to send me any money for I can get along better without it you can for two months and as for those shts if George wants them fix them for him and let him wear them and save what money he can for I want to take him to New Haven with me when I come home I want him to see a little of city life the folks. As for your doing better by going to the bridge I do not know about that I think with the right management you can do better there you are sure of enough to live on any way if and will not have to buy it. I know wages and groceries of dry goods are high but produce is a high in proportion so as far as I can see it is all long as it is broad and I think you have got the best end of the bargain after all. I wrote a letter to Alice the other day and have got an answer and I must answer that to night so I hope you will excuse this from your
Affectionate son
Charles D. Garlick
P. S. The folks Alice wrote are all well and send their love to you they want me to come out there this fall. I will see about that by and by.
C. D. Garlick
Fortress Monroe Va.
P.S. Please write soon as it was two weeks since I wrote to you before I got an answer and I begun to feel anxious about you at home.
Yours truly
Charles
P. S. Again I want to know if Father has ever seen anything of Bill Stilson in New Milford lately I have written to him but get no answer if you see him tell him I will give him if he don't write to me.
