George G. Howe, Middlebury, to Lorette E. Wolcott, Shoreham

Camp 1st Vermont Artillery
June 22nd 1865

Dear Lorette,

I have at last come to the conclusion that I am never to receive another letter from VT. At least while I am in the service. Have received just two letters since the twenty-fourth of May, one from you and one from home. Quite a large correspondence isn't it? I don't know whether everybody is dead up there or not. But I suppose the reason we get no letters is because everybody up there think we will be there in a day or two. The Vermont papers are worse than none at all. They have had us up there since less than a thousand times and here we are yet not even ready to start. I think however we will start sometime next week and are going to Burlington to be discharged. We have been very busy making out the necessary papers for our muster [?] out. They have not been examined yet but will be this week I think.
Clayton has been up here once. He is looking very well. I don't know but you have heard of all the promotions in our regt. But will tell you for fear that you have not. Lt. Col. Hunsdon [?] to be Colonel. Major Walker to be Lt. Col. Walter is 1st Lieut. Of Battery "B" and your humble servant. Capt of Battery "J" there are lots of others but none that you are acquainted with.
The weather is very hot here. It is hard to get a breath of pure fresh air and harder still to get good cool water. How many times since I've been to this wooden country I have wished for a drink of water from some of the wells in S.
Of course you will not expect me to write much of a letter today, as there is no news and it is so warm and we are coming home. Will try and let you know when we start for VT. Wishing you all manners of a good luck, especially a good cool place and no flies to bother you.
I am as ever
Yours
George