p.

Assistant Quartermaster's Office,
2d Brigd. Smith's Division,
October 7th 1862.

Dear Mother,

Thy & Mary's letters of September 15th
& 23d were received on the day before, & as it is more
than time for me to write home I will try to answer
them to night. I was very glad to get news from
Mary, and more, as it is evidence that she is at
least a [underline]little[/underline] better than before. Camp life a-
grees with me, as well as ever, & I continue to im-
prove in flesh, strength, health & spirits, for I
must confess that, for almost the first time in
my life & for [underline]quite[/underline] the [underline]longest[/underline], that last nam-
ed commodity in my composition was at a very
low standard, for about three weeks, of my late
hospital life. I consider myself now, in better
health, than I have been for eleven month be-
fore, or since my first entry on service in the
Regtl. Hospital, one year ago, this month. I may
have received some good lessons in regard to
care-taking in my last year & I am in hopes
I shall profit by them in future.

[upside down?]

pound of butter. This I thought would be for a story
so I got only a

[in left margin:]

little, for the sake of the story; but when I got short again I had
to 50 cents for a loaf.
I laid in a supply
and concluded I
would never tell any
one of it at all &
I am going to stick
to the resolution.
Here I board with
the Captain
& live very well.
Give my love to
all & write soon.
I will write Mary
in a few days.

As ever
Thy loving Son

W. B. Stevens

to R. B. Stevens