You may be surprised in receiving this from me but seeing your name in the paper the other day I could not resist the temptation of writing to you.
You undoubtedly can bring to mind the gloomy winter of 1'62 and –3 and of your many visits to the different Hospitals in and about Washington I was an inmate of Armory Square Hospital and always occupied a bed by the side of Louis K. Brown loc.01920.002.jpg the boy that suffered so much with a "Compound Fracture" of the leg and after laying months and months had it amputated at last
My kind friend (for so you must permit me to call you) I have thought of you many times since I left Washington and how well can I remember you as you came into the Wards with the Haversack under your arm giving some little nesessary here, a kind word there, and when you came to Louis bed and mine how cordialy you grasped our hands and anxiously loc.01920.003.jpg enquired into our condition. I thank you for all this and you in your lonely moments must be happy in thinking of the good you have done to the many suffering ones during the war
I will now close for perhaps you may never receive this but if you do let me hear from you if it is convenient.
May God bless you kind friend and in [damage] through [damage] you have the kindest regards of your humble servant,
Hiram Sholes AlbanyN. Y. loc.01920.004.jpg loc.01920.005.jpg loc.01920.006.jpg