Dear Father,
In accordance with my promise I embrace the first opportunity of writing a few lines.
We arrived at Harmar safely, where we laid over Monday night, Tuesday & Tuesday night – waiting for a boat bound for Gallipolis. This gave me plenty of time to visit all the friends at H. - Will Gardner is still there & says when he returns home he is bound to join the 10th Ohio Cavalry now forming at Toledo - I would not have recognized him if I had met him in a strange place – he has grown tall and changed much otherwise.
Wednesday morning at four o’clock we went aboard the large side wheel steamer St. Patrick bound for Cin. On our way down I witnessed such a scene as I hope never to see again; two deck passengers who had been indulging pretty freely in wine, got into a dispute which ended in one stabbing the other, so that he died in the course of an hour: his right arm was nearly severed from his breast; besides a severe wound in the side & back - it was the strongest and most direct appeal for the cause of temperance that I have ever heard or seen.
Arrived at Gallipolis where we went aboard the Gov. steamer “Oritor No. 2”– started for camp Thursday, 4 AM. Caught a deer on our way up while attempting to swim the river. Found my box safe at Gallipolis, it is now safe in my tent and part of its contents distributed among the boys. It would do you good to see how much good it does the boys to get a little grub from America (as they say) once more.
Our Major Smith has resigned, or at least it is so reported upon good authority – hope the report may prove false because he is a first rate man and a good officer (Ed.note: Noelesia A. Smith; in fact did not resign until Feb. 1, 1863).
Boys all well. No more furloughs will be given just now – perhaps not this winter.
Affectionately, your son
D. Putnam
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