No 52  
Camp of 23rd Iowa Brownsville Ark  Nov 25 /64  
My Dear Wife.  I have as you will see by the date of this neglected to write longer than usual.  I have not been feeling well for a week & kept waiting until I should feel better.  Yesterday I tried to write, but found that the influence of of opiates, my pen failed to perform its duty. & kept putting words wrong end first & then again it would say things I did not intend.  These little steel pointed misiles are wicked instruments if not under proper controll.  And if this morning it should commit some freaks, Just excuse your husband & attribute it to the pen, will you?  I will not tire you with a long complaint, but I have been suffring to some extent for over three months with a slight cold & sore throat, until about ten or twelve days ago.  I was taken with diarhea, & in a few days, runing into a kind of flux which lasted for five days, discontinued, but diarhea kept to me.  I had during this time been taking, pills, salts & opiates from the surgeon.  He finally told me to take nothing for a few days.  I did so, until three or four days since I commenced on the drug I brought with me (Mr Nashes prescription).  I am getting better & will be able for duty to morrow, I have missed one detail, the only one since I came to the Regt more than a year since, I have performed duty often when I felt worse than I do this morning, but shall guard against in in
 future