Dog River Factory
5 miles from Mobile
May 1, 1862
Beloved wife and children,
I seat myself tonight to pen you a few lines. This leaves me in good health except a slight cold and I hope you and the children are enjoying the best of health. I received your letter of Apr 20th 2 days ago and the one of Apr 26th today. And Oh the joy it gave me. I could have wept tears of joy over them if I had been alone but being alone here is almost an impossibility. And yet how lonely I feel sometimes when I think of the many long miles that interven between us an the small probability of our meeting soon but I believe we will meet again for I have prayed with all the faith that I could that we would meet again and I know you have. But as to getting a furlough you need not expect it while I keep well, at [least] not for a long time. But I want to see you as bad as you possibly can me.
I enjoy myself here much better than I expected. I wrote to you from Mobile telling you all up to that time. We left there last Friday and came here. We have splendid houses to stay in but nothing but green pine wood to burn and that we have to carry a long ways. This is centainly the poorest part of the world I ever saw. It all looks like the pine flat at Pate's old mill all over this country.
We drill five hours each day and the ballance is taken up in cooking and doing anything we please so [long as we] behave ourselves. This regiment is not filled yet and I do not believe it will be. It it is not I do not know where we will go. I do not like this place. It must be very sickly from the appearance....
_______________________
David Upton