Chapman, 8 August 1861

Hagerstown, Maryland
August 8, 1861

My Dear Wife,

I now take my pen to write these few lines hoping they will find you well for they leave me a great deal better than my last one did. But I have been very sick for a day or two so I could not work. But I am at it again. The men that I am at work for wants me to stay with them all the time but I don’t think that I can for the officers in our company wants me back there again though the men here are trying hard to keep me and will if they can. I think we shall leave here the last of this week for Fredericksburgh [Frederick, MD] so we are to leave here at last without either money or rifles but I guess that the Colonel is pretty sure of having them soon or he would not let us go.

We are a going to fighting now sure so we are in for it now strong. They are drilling the men now all the time there. They are bringing me another letter so I must stop and read it but I hope it don’t as bad news as your last. There, I have read it, but it is the same as the other. It is from Mother and her letters are always welcome here but I am very sorry that either of them brought such bad news as they did for I loved the little fellow very much. He was so good. But let me know if Warton has gone to the war. Oh, how I pity him and Mary now. I wish that I could comfort them but you must tell Mary that I am sorry for her as I should be for myself if I had had the same misfortune.

I wish that the war was over so that I could come and see you for you are always in my mind and I am happy in thinking that I have such a loving little wife as I have for I know that you love me more than you ought to. Yes, more than I deserve/ But God bless you and make me worthy of you. Write often as you can, dear, for I love to read your letters very much.

Tell Mother she must write to me if I don’t to her. I would write to her but I don’t have time to write more than I do. You must send me your daguerreotype and I will send you mine as soon as I can. You can take it out of the case and send it in a letter. Send the glass and the other inside fixins so that it won’t rub it out. Send it by all means for it won’t cost more than tweny-five cents. Send it, send it, send it, send it.

Your affectionate husband, — Chester A. Chapman

P. S. I send the last stamp I have on this. Send me some and I will send more when I get paid off. — Chet