Letter dated May 15th, 1864
May 15, 1864
Fredericksburg
Dear wife
Once more I will try to write a few lines to let you know I am in the land of the living and doing well. My wound is doing first rate. I am able to walk around and help myself. The ball went in just under my right shoulder blade and came out through my breast just under my right arm. It did not break any bones only scratched the ribs a little. It has not been very painful. I tell you this has been an awful battle. There is thousands and thousands of our poor boys that is worse off than I am. Besides lots of them that have got slight wound such as a finger off. White my tent mate had a finger shot off. He went right through to Washington but they have stopped sending such ones now till they get the worst ones. I think it is about to for here we lay in this old brick building 5 stories high 120 feet long and about 60 wide with six rows of men the whole length of it on the floor that I am on. Some of them have one blanket, some of them 2. I have one blanket and an overcoat besides my dress coat. I lost everything I had in getting off the field, your likeness, which I miss the most of any thing. Today is Sunday, the 10th day since I was wounded. I have written to you once before, I have not heard from you in a long time. We started out of camp on the night of the 3rd and I have not had a letter then in two weeks from you. Ett, you must write to mother and Vina for it is hard work for me to write and all I write I will write to you. You will probably see my name in the paper as dead for I am reported as such at the regiment but thank the lord I was able to crawl off and I am worth two dead men for I can still make way with Uncle Sam's hard tack and coffee. Well there I think I have done pretty well this time so I will say good by for this time and write again soon.
Yours holey and truly
W.W.vanAmber