ADDRESSED TO: Mary Elizabeth (Ganoung) Wood
FROM: Samuel T Wood, Elmira Barreks no one

March the fourth 1865
Elmira Barreks no one Dear Wife and Children I Will rite and let you know Whare I am this is friday

March 4, 1865 was a Saturday. Lincoln took the oath of office for his second term.

I enlisted last Saturday for elmira city I was to have three hundred dolars County bounty we was to have our County bounty and one third of our goverment bounty when we got to the Barracks we got thirty dolars when we came in now they say we can have our bounty when we get to the front it is the worst thing I ever saw I was promised a furlogh of five days but I dont know whether we wil get eny at all or not if I dont you never will get my clothse I guess not eny way

Page 19 of the PDF from military records request is illegible. It’s pencil on paper from 150+ years ago, so we are lucky to have what we have.


I have got ten dolars I would send to you but I dare bounty xxxxx xxxx sent money in leters and it xxxx never got through I have not had eny xxx(tea?) since I was home we get xxxx(good/goat?) meat and coffee for breakfast and super and bread and bean soup fpr dinner the bean soup I dont eat I would like to come and see you but I canot now I want you to rite to me every weak xxxxxxxxx makes a good xxxxxxx I wil come out all rite but I think I wil
get along now but I think if you had heard me cough [bottom of page warn away]

I canot xxxx xxxx xxx xxxx now so good by for this time they say we canot have xxx xxx til we get to the front if we never get thare then I dont know how it wil be I want you to rite every thing you can think of you no I am a
direct your leters to
it is the 194 regiment
xxx xxxx xxxxx xxx and