Camp Words
                                September the 2  1862

ireceived a leter from father and was glad to gitit isent 
20 dolars from the 25 igot from the County to knobles Store 
So father could gitit and ixpect the other 25 wewill git 
from the State before long  as Soon as igitit iwill Send it 
home to and that at martz they can do what they please about 
it  iwill get my likeness taken and Sendit in aleter  

we have bin moveing agood deel Sins we left Harisburgh  we 
went first to Camp Chase then we went to Camp Simons amd 
fromthere we went to Camp Word in betwen thre forts there 
we hafto stand on picked  my riegement was out yesterday and 
last night wen we got home to Camp the most of them was wet 
as they Could be it raind Just as hard as it Could pour it 
down before we got to Camp the water got that deepthat it 
run in hour Shoos but idident get wery wet only around the 
botem of my pans for ihad a gum blanket 

we wer about to miles from Camp we can hear the enimy shoting 
evr day at Monases

wen irite to father agin imust tell him to tell Elick and 
lias and Will to write to me for icant write to them all 
atonst

John Earnest
....................................................................

End Notes:

"Knobles Store" (Knoebel's) was a general store in the 
village of Elysburg, PA. In 1957, I believe, it was 
removed to make room for the Presbyterian Church's new 
parking lot. It was moved to what is Knoebel's Grove, a 
large wooded amusement/picnic park, run by descendants 
of the original Knoebels, and is now their office 
building. The Grove sits very near John's home, and 
wihout a doubt he hunted squirrels in that woods and 
fished in the fine trout stream which goes through there.

"martz" is Solomon Marts, a neighbor. He sent his fiddle 
and clothes there to be picked up by his father.

John got his "likeness" (19th century talk for photograph) 
taken on two occassions. While he mentions where they were 
sent, I have yet to uncover one.

Camp (Fort) Chase, Camp (Fort) Words (Fort Ward) and Camp 
(Fort) Simons were three of the ring of fortifications 
around Washington, DC.

A gum blanket was a rubber poncho, very much like today's 
army ponchos, only they were pure rubber.

"Elick"--Alexander Earnest, his uncle
"lias"--John's brother, Elias, who was blind
"Will"--John's brother, William, whom we shall meet later.