.NTkz.NzU5
Camp Chaffin Farm Sept 2nd 1862 My dear wife: I didn't have time to finish my my last letter to you & send it off by yesterday's mail & will write now though in such con- fusion that I don't know what I am writ- ing. Our regt was ordered this morning to prepare to move some four miles across the (?) & remain a week to assist in throwing up some earth works. It will then return & [another?] regt of our brigade will go & so on I sup- pose until the work is finished. As I am for- tunately still [?] with the Court Martial (your fear about my need of active exercise to the contrary notwithstanding) I will not go the sick also & a camp guard will be left. I am now entirely well again. Sam [?] [?] some strange ideas about my being so fat - though I am in tolerable good condition. I have just left camp (for the court)where all was [bustle?]
2. and confusion getting tents & blankets & clothes & provisions ready for the temporary move We had too just received intelligence of our glo- rious victory over {Pope?] & McClellan at or near Manassus & this added to the [hubbub?] You will see it all in the papers this Eve- ning & it will be useless for me to write about it While I have time and think of it I will give some cautions & directions about my farm I am afraid the rains have interfered a good deal with my wheat threshing & the wheat threshing fully as much with my fallowing I wish to put in as large a crop of wheat as possible. I wish all of the best land a- round the [granary?]to be fallowed if it can be done & sowed as early as possible & then for all the [?] land near the double barn to be sowed in wheat. Mr Horn's system of drainage will not [answer?] for my land. The furrows must be closer to-
3. gether - 9ft. beds - such as I had it last year with good strong hill side ditches well cleaned out & close together and cross furrows through all the wet places I wish my wheat well washed & limed before sowing & the seed wheat run through the fan at least three times & oftener if necessary Ben master can get the lime & I wish it gotten even if it costs $10 a barrel. If your Pa can get $2.50 or 3 for my wheat would it not be better to sell (for cash) than to hold it too long for 44 I leave this en tirely to him though as I know so little a bout the state of things around & feel perfectly satisfied that he will do exactly right I wish my tobacco cured with as little smoke as possible & tell Smiley to watch it carefully when curing & see that it does not mould I prefer smoke to mould. Also to watch my wheat & see that it does not injure from dampness the bowing wheat is much more easily
3. injured than any other sort. Wheat & tobacco are to be the great money crop this & next year and I wish as large crops of these as I can possibly cultivate. For this reason an use
