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    Camp Capitol Hill D. C.  Apr 22
        Dear father
               I suppose that

you think it strange that I write so few letters to you. you may think that I am neglecting you or that I forget you alltogether but sutch is not the case. I write to Rebeca because she can and does answer all and I [lik?] for to hear from home. Well I hope thes lines my find you and Mother and all the family in good health as they leve me en joying the same blessing. We have moved from the Verginia side of the river and are now enc amped on capitol hill about as far from the capitol buildings as from the lock to[Hennymadge?] so there is none but the ninth & tenth Fifth and twelfth Regts of the Reserves. The duty of the Brigade is provosting the city. It is a verry safe job but a verry conf ining one for you cannot get out of Camp without a pass but our Col says that his men shall go herafter with a pass and if they misbehave they will be sent to the Tombs so they will have far to lookout for he says and does better. Men is hard for to find for a Col. We have not got things just as we want them yet but in a fiew days all will be right. What duty the twelfth will be put at I know not for certain but I think guarding the Navy yard. This is a good berth and I think that we will st ay for some time but it depends all on how the boys conduct themselves.

  I have not been out thro

ugh the city mutch as yet but when I get a chance I will take a tramp. It is not verry big and home of the best of houses. The capitol looks like a dimond in an [?] ring. There is so mutch differ ence. I saw them hauling a little stone of grey grannit this day. It only weighed twenty five tons. There is some a little larger wegh ing seventy five tons. [Small?} bits of [?] I have not enny news for to write John is well and Hooker is giving the rebe ls some work. The news are all of the best all that one could wish now I will close. I just write for to let you know that I am well [farewell?] your affectionate son,

               [Love? page is cut off McNutt]

P.S. The cherrys and plum blossoms is in bloom and the [roads?] are looking hantsome

Direct letters as before to washington

2nd Letter

Catl. H Station April 23rd 1862

        Dear father
                It is again I

take this pen to inform you where I am and how getting along. The last letter that I wrote you was from Manassas. Since then we have mo ved eleven miles further South by way of Warington two miles North of Warington junction. This is the direct roa d to Richmond and about 16 miles north of the Rapahanoc river so we are get ting on the right of McDowel's command whitch is our place. Our Regiment are detatched for to guar the Railroad from Manasas to Warington [Warrenton?]. I received a letter of Rebeca on Thursday [illegible] friday morning we left and as there has been no mail going out since and it has rained night and day for the past three days there was no inducement to write and I intended to write to her [?] you but its all in the family, as the saying is. In this out of the way place I hear little of what is going on . Friday after a smart skirmish McDowel enterd Fredricksburgh and at the same time there was a little skirmish on the Rap ahanoc about 12 miles from here. It was an artillery fight Speedys Regiment was down to see the fun. He was out for to [Lee?] on yesterday. [?] about 1 1/2 miles from our company he looks first abt there will be mustered out of the service purty soon. They are anxious for to [?] in Washington on the ninth then they will [?] to their homes and if we gain the victory at Yorktown. I think they will give it up for a bad job. Hell this is a prety nice country in some respects the land is roling and if cultivated by free labour would be a beautiful country indeed.

    I have no news of importan

ce to write the boys are all in good health and my own is good only my right cheek has taken a notion of getting biger then the other [?] it is only a bile but it is mighty soar I tell you now. Well I have sent you ten dollars in care of Reverend Miller at [?] I would of sent it to [?] but I was away from camp on duty. and all the other packages was pr epared for to be sent off but the one to Florence I want you to let me knw whether you have for to pay [?] char ges on it or not as I always [?] them. My Respects to all enquiring friends and my love to Mother and Rebeca dn to all of the chil dren the same to yourself.

  Yours Respecfuly
             Samuel H McNutt

[3rd letter]

    Catenett Station April 28th   62

              Dear father
                       It is but a

fiew days since I wrote to you but as we may move in a fiew days and ourmail goes out in the morning I thought that I wou ld write a line. Is you are alwa ys uneasy about me now. I wish you to make yourself as comfortable as you can for all that I am affr aid of is that I will not get to see a as these of

  and my short wind will not
    A portion of the division

has moved to Fredricksburgh to hold it. The rebels left to parts unknown. The weather has become good again and this is a good day for drying out the land whitch very ?

I was on yesterday down to see Speedy. He is well [?] the boys seem well enough pleas ed that they are going home soon. I spent the day verry well to be in a strange camp. He supp oses that Sarah is with you by this time. He would of written but they have no mail for some time. In three weeks he will be at home so there is little for him. This is a fine country and there is nice farms if the negro [?] was of them. My health is good and my boil is purty near well. James Tamb? is in good health. If Sarah is there give my respects to her and my love to all of the family and my merry friends. I will now change the su bject. I have been thinking of pa ying John Fornd? his monney [?] next pay day of the govern ment. But I wish for to know of you first whether you have made enny engagements in whitch you depend on me sending home my mo ney for I do not wish to block you and I want you to write to me so I may wr ite to john. Let me know whether you need enny or not should you want ten or fifteen I can borrow it till next pay day. Following that from the next payday till the one in july. I want you to write soon as you can to me for if I pay him I want to write to him about it and get the sum of it. [?] fairwell for the present from your Son Sam. H McNutt

PS John is so mutch taken with his woman that he has forgoten to write to me [?]