Letter from Linus Patrick to John B. Patrick

Camp Reid, Perryville Kentucky
October 27, 1862

My Dear Father

Your kind and welcome letter was recd yesterday morning and I take
The very earliest opportunity of sending you an answer - I had began to think you had forgotten me, but I suppose it was on account of the mails as they have been very unregular since we have been here- our letters have been going on to our Brigade but yesterday and today the letters have been coming in by the whole sale - you wanted me to write & give a general description of the battle - Capt Odors death & c I wrote a letter to John McCullach and gave a general description of how our Regiment was taken into the engagement & all things pertaining there to & I have also just finished a letter to Capt. Odors wife in which I gave a full detail of Capt Odors death and it is therefor unnecessary for me to say any more upon the subject for I told McCullach to show you & and the rest of my friends his letter & Mrs Odor will undoubtedly do the same - Father it seems hard that - a Regiment like ours - which had been in the service but five weeks and nearly all that time spent in moving around should be be rushed right - into an engagement & that too right in the hottest of the fight - while old Regiments that have been in the service 12 and 14 months & and never smelt gun powder were laying on their arms & playing with their fingers a short distance away - I say it was murder to lead our regiment where they did in the condition it was in - I blame our colonel with it, for he need not have taken his Regiment from Camp Delaware when he did if he had not consented to it Our company is in a pretty bad fix at present - the 1st Lieut - has been sick ever since the battle & the 2nd Lieut was sick for a week or so & I then had to take charge of everything myself They both reported for duty again yesterday but it does not make it any easier for me - for when there Is anything to do they run for me & I either have to do it my-self or tell them what to do - Our 1st Lieut is an easy good natured sort of a fellow, but he is weakly & and if he was stout he would never make a military officer - Our 2nd Lieut I have told you of & as he is not worth speaking of I will not say any thing more about him - I told Ben's wife to send Richard Odor and John Rumer after him & now if they come which I want them to do have them to take a store box and bring some things for the boys There was a fellow came down from Delaware the other day & brought a box full of things for the boys - The boys needs dried and canned fruit - green apples and some thing of that - kind - I would like to have two under - shirts & a pair of kid skin moracco gloves lined inside with something soft and warm - I would like for you to speak with some of the citizens who are deeply interested in this matter & have them see all the friends of the boys & have these things sent if Odor and Rumer come after Ben - which I want them to do - The boys from Rushsylvania are generally all well - Lawson Roberts is in the hospital & I tell you we miss him for he was all life when he was with us- Dave Dorman is still at louisville & Bratton is at camp Dennison - But Rumer went to the hospital on saturday he has the ague he was up here to day & will report for duty in a day or two Johnny Wintz is also at the hospital but will be all right soon - Bill Konkle is at the company able for duty he wanted to come to the company two or three days before he did but the surgeon would not let him Andy Sweeny is just as good a soldier as there is in the Regiment he has never missed a roll call except when on duty or excused he is cooking for a mess at present & is up every morning at 4 he sends his best respects to you and all the rest of his friends - Do you know any thing about our county bounty? If you know any process by which we can get it I wish you would tell me, for I would like to have you get mine & use what you need of it & and put the rest in safe keeping I shall have to close soon I want you to write soon & and write often for nothing gives me more pleasure than to hear from you

Hoping to hear from you soon & remain
as ever your obedient and affectionate son,
Linus

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