T. J. Carney to Unknown

Antietam

(Upside down) don't fail to write soon. I remain as ever yours truly O.S. T. J. Carney Direct to St. Johns College Hospital Annapolis MD

(right side up) Annapolis Md

Feb 10th, 1863

Highly Esteemed Friends.

I told you in my letter before this one I would in a short time write you a longer letter am feeling tolerbal well this evening I thought I would fulfill my promise.

This evng finds me in better spirits than I was the other day when I pend you a few lines although I dont feel all wright yet

and more than all I dont think I shall feel much better untill we are removed from this place I am afraid we shall have to remain here untill we are exchanged Still I live in hope the Govner of Ills will be made to know. the condisson of prisnors from the western army I now if he new the true condisson of them he would without delay have all the Ills troops

moved to there State you will be surprised when I tell you the disiplin of the parole camp at this place nevertheless it is true there is not a day goes by but there is fighting going on & gambling of all kinds evry day or two a man is brought to the hospital all cut or beat to peaces one morning three men [was?] found dead on a brush heap with there throats cut from ear to ear and there pockets robed There is some drinking [Roy?] going on all the time and to help the matter the eastern troops are always furished with the best of evry thing if they can favor them at all

thay are sure to do it although I dont now mind that so much as I do the discplin of the camp now I want to now your opinion of this matter. do you think this kind of treatment is just to Soldiers who have left comfortable homes kind friends & many comforts to the rescue of there endagnerd country to endure the hardships of camp life. and long marches as you have witnessed your self to some extent Soldiers who have fought the Battles of Shiloh Perreyville & Donelson and while engaged in the Bloody contest at

Murfresburo and had the misfortun to fall in the hands of the enemy and then be kept a prisoner for over a month with treatment that hogs should Should have kept us an old dirty house with no privligs whatever hawled all over the South in hogs cars and kept on less than half Rations If I could see any propiety in keeping us here it would be different but that I cant see if we ever in our own State our folks could come and see us if we could not go and see them.

thay could bring us sumthing to eat and wear and while we wer under parole we could enjoy our selfs instead of degrading our selfs by staying in such a [ruining?] place as many young boys will be runed forever by the time thay come out of this place I am Glad I can say to you I think I have control of my- self enough not to be led off by these fellows and by the aid of your prayers I hope I may continue to think so but know so I hope I may come home clear from

being a gambler or a drunkerd or a rober Oh I know how it would make you Both feel to hear of me guilty of either of these Habits well if you can do any thing twords having us removed from here I hope you will not delay I wish I could write a letter to the Journal I would do it without delay But I am not the [seallor?] to do it

Well as regards the Battle of Murfreesburo I expect you know more about it than I do about who was killed wounded missing I have seen no report of the Battle whatever. that is why I wanted you to send me

some papers I want you to send me some papers with the report of our Rgt if you can find one are the report of our Division send it soon as you can I am anxious to hear from them I heard that Capt Greenwood was dead I knew he was wounded he was wounded by my side before I was taken I supose you wer uneasy about me before you heard where I was well I got off well to what many others did and I am thankful for it that was an auful Battle such as I dont want to see soon again

I supose you know the cause of the old 2nd Division being cut to [peseres?] as bad as it was it was by the management of Johnson a traitor at heart I think when you write tell me your opinion about it and the general opinion of the neighborhood Well I expect you will want to know sonthing of my travels in the Southern confedracy well we traveled some distance I can tell you in the first place the day we

wer taken (the last day of 1862) thay took us to Murfreesburo Kept us there that night and the next morning thay put us on the cars and started us from there for Chatanooga got there the next morning about three Oclock staid there that day and night and next day Started for Vicksburg traveled about five days we got down in the edge of Floruda within 40 miles of Mobiel there we stoped overnight and the next morning we started on the

Back track we went back as far as Atlanta Georgia then we Started towrds Richmand Va after about five das travel we got to the much talked about place Richmend I expected to see somthing Great but I did not see much thay put us in an old house not fit for hogs Our Rations was a loaf of bread the size of Bakers Bread small ones to about a nough to make one meal and a little soup off of beef after it was boilt you can see how we lived when we came to this place I got to see

a goodeal I saw the Chesspeake Bay the Atlantic Ocean the Blockade Fortress Monroe well I have wrote a long letter so I will close for this time

I want you to write a good long letter soon as you Read this I mean mother to this is both of you I want you to send me some stamps and a little money if you can spair it I need a little well I will stop give my compliments to all inquiring frends and tell them I should like to hear from them

T.J. Carney

Annapolis Feb 10th/63

Is a paroled prisoner = wishes to know if he cannot be brought to his own state

Direct - to- St. John's College Hospital - Annapolis - Md

P.P.

Examine letter carefully & write proper letter